Only a Pretense
by WickedlyAwesomeMe
Summary: In order to save her parents, Hermione Granger had to give up everything, even her identity… and femininity. Dramione!
1. Her Own Funeral

**Disclaimer: Sadly, after months of being in hiatus, Harry Potter and his gang aren't still mine. Oh, wait, what's this? Draco Malfoy's being auctioned for ownership? How much? How much? DAMN… I forgot I'm broke today.**

**Haha, but seriously, the last time I looked at myself in the mirror, I'm still me.**

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**A/N: Yes, that's right, 2booklover4 is back and alive! Good lord, it's been what? Months? I've been in hiatus for an awfully long time because of multiple reasons and gah, they're all the same, anyway. I apologize; who knew junior high school here in our country would be frikin' exhausting? I haven't slept properly for days and all that shizz. ANYWAY, the good news is, it's our semestral break here! Woot! **

**Now, on with my new story. If you read the summary, you'll think that 'oh, it's PiD all over again'. But trust me, it isn't (except for the disguising and all). I've worked hard over this fic so there… I also know that stories of Hermione incognito are rampant all over this site but please, still give it a chance :D OH, and don't be wary if you think I will not be able to finish this fic because breaking news, I've finished typing ALL forty-one chapters! But if you think I'll be updating like crazy, then you are sorely wrong, my friend. I still have a lot of editing to do. **

**Anyway, I won't stop you from reading this fic now. Oh, the italicized parts are flashbacks, 'kay? Do enjoy, please!**

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**Title: **Only a Pretense**  
Author: **Lovely 2booklover4**  
Form: **Multi-Chaptered**  
Genre: **Romance/Humor/Drama**  
Rating: **T, just to be safe**  
Warning/s: **Cussing, some innuendos, and character death (don't fret! It won't be Draco or Hermione, I swear)**  
Ship: **Draco/Hermione**  
Summary: **In order to save her parents, Hermione Granger had to give up everything, even her identity… and femininity. Dramione!

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**Only a Pretense by 2booklover4**

**Chapter One: Her Own Funeral**

The weather was weird today.

The sun was shining too brightly for her own liking. It was neither too cold nor warm, yet, it still felt weird. The birds were awfully happy; chirping merrily while they greeted their other bird friends perched on tree branches. The flowers seemed to be in their fullest bloom, showing off their beauty to attract bees and spread their pollen.

Everything seemed alive and happy.

'_Weird,'_ thought Hermione Granger, adjusting the scarf over her head to conceal her face. _'I actually thought the sky would be mourning on the day of my funeral.'_

Sighing, she looked around to make sure no one was around before continuing her small journey.

Today… today, the whole Wizarding World mourned for the death of Hermione Granger, the Heroine and Brain of the Golden Trio. Her death had brought a huge impact to all those who hoped for freedom. Knowing that one of their heroes met her untimely death dampened their hopes of being freed from the vilest wizard ever known.

And so, her funeral happened on Hogwarts itself. Hermione had done so many things to Hogwarts… _for _Hogwarts. Therefore, her friends decided it would be best if she was buried in Hogwarts, too.

A while ago, her funeral took place near the Hogwarts' Great Lake. People all over the world, both who knew her personally and who knew her through newspapers and such, went to her funeral to pay their respects. Nobody was seen with dry eyes after Harry Potter and Ron Weasley delivered their tear-jerking eulogies for their beloved best friend.

'_Ron,' _she wistfully thought. He had been a very good friend to her despite their past misunderstandings. She softly smiled upon remembering the entertainment they brought to their spectators every time they shouted at the top of their lungs. Ron had temper problems and she was the less prideful of the two, and so, she was the first person to settle the argument (although, most of the time, Ron was at fault). They would then revert back to their old chummy-chummy self.

And then, there were the Weasleys. They came to her funeral and all nine of them had tears in their eyes, even Percy who was not really close to the deceased brunette. Mrs. Weasley was the distressed of all for she had lost one of her beloved daughters.

And Harry… thinking about him made Hermione laugh. Based on what he had shown awhile ago, Hermione concluded he was a very good actor. Even he had tears in his eyes as he delivered his eulogy, every once in a while shooting furtive looks at a distant yet visible maple tree. If anyone would have been sober enough and looked at the maple tree, there would be a possibility of seeing a pensive brunette hiding her curly brown tresses with a black scarf.

As Hermione continued her walk, she was sure that if someone would have seen her now, they would be running away in surprise and fright, thinking that they had seen the ghost of the girl who had been buried just now.

Gently smiling, Hermione removed the black scarf over her head. Instead, she settled it around her shoulders.

'_Almost there,' _she thought absentmindedly, avoiding low-hanging branches and protruding roots in the Forbidden Forest.

Many might be wondering why Hermione Granger was walking freely in the woods, alive and perfectly healthy. And only a few, specifically four people, would be able to answer correctly.

"Here," was her soft remark as she stopped and sighed at the sight of her tombstone.

_**Hermione Granger**  
(September 19, 1980 – August 5, 1997)  
A true heroine of the Wizarding World.  
Missed and will never be forgotten. _

Gingerly, she sat down on the mossy ground and stared at her epitaph. She was sure Ginny was the one who made that simple, yet truthful epitaph. According to Harry, Ginny was quite adamant to be the one to make the engraving on her epitaph and he had no choice but to let her.

'_Oh, Ginny,' _she thought. _'I'm going to miss you so much.' _

Ginny always had a special place in Hermione's heart. Having two male best friends exhausted her. After all, she was still a _girl_. And having Ginny by her side was a great relief. Times when both Harry and Ron boggled her to no end were times when she sought for her girl best friend. And then, both would just fall into 'sissy land', as what Ron would call their bonding moments.

"Hermione?"

The sudden voice surprised her greatly and the first thing that came into her mind was to _hide_. She hastily wrapped the black scarf over her head once again and was ready to make a mad dash away from the sudden intruder when she heard a familiar chuckle.

_Harry._

"Oh, Harry, really," was her welcoming greeting as she turned around to behold the sight of a smiling Harry Potter. "You scared me to death. Ever heard of the sentence 'be subtle'?"

"I'm sorry." Harry stooped down to remove the scarf covering his best friend's head. He then held her hand to pull her up and was soon thanked by the brunette with a small kiss on his cheek.

The-Boy-Who-Lived then surveyed Hermione from head-to-toe, a pensive look visible on his handsome face. "Are you all right?" he asked, a tinge of worry heard in the tone of his voice. She looked too weary and tired for his own liking.

"Well," she started, "what would you feel if you faked your own death and you just watched from afar as you broke the hearts of your loved ones?"

Hermione desperately tried to look strong in front of Harry but she couldn't help but spat a sarcastic reply to his question. After all, she had a long day and all she wanted to do was to crawl back to bed and 'weep a small weep'.

"I hate to say this but I told you this was a bad idea," Harry said, resuming his position as Hermione's 'older' brother. "Dumbledore's suggestion of taking you into hiding was the best idea, Hermione. Roaming around Hogwarts would be very dangerous for you, especially now that Voldemort and his Death Eaters are unusually stronger now."

The brunette released a soft sigh. "Harry, I've made a decision and nothing can change it now. I have to do this, please understand. I just cannot hide and be protected. I need to do something, Harry. I need to do something to save _them _from _him_."

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_The smoke was too thick. Suffocating even. But Harry must go on. Or else, he might lose one of the most important persons in his life. _

"_Hermione! HERMIONE!" he cried, again and again, shielding his head from the burning debris falling down from the roof. "Are you in here? Hermione? WHERE ARE YOU?"_

_Panic rose into his chest. A million possibilities rushed into his mind. Where was she? Was she all right? What if she's hurt? Or __**worse**__, what if she's… _

"_No," Harry firmly told himself, sidestepping a burnt cabinet. _

_And then, he heard coughing. Relief took over his heart as he rushed towards the direction of Hermione's faint, yet persistent coughs. _

_The smoke was thickening. The fire was spreading much too quickly for his own liking. The sound of sirens was heard while screams of frightened neighbors fueled his worry. He forced his aching legs to run faster until he arrived at the Granger's kitchen. _

_This was supposed to be a nice, happy dinner with the Grangers. Hermione had sent him a letter, asking if he was all right. After all, just a month before summer, Harry had started his grueling trainings with Albus Dumbledore, which Hermione suspected had bothered her best friend to no end. She knew of the impending war and Dumbledore had been doing everything to prepare Harry. And him? She assumed that the pressure of the prophecy on him had been driving him insane already and a simple dinner invitation would do him good._

_As soon as he saw Hermione's letter, he immediately decided to ignore it. He understood his friends' concern but he needed some time alone. _

_He politely declined her dinner invitation, writing some lie which both knew was… well, a lie. But Hermione was a one, persistent girl and Harry had no choice but to accept her invitation, albeit reluctantly. _

_And so, that day came. __**Today**__. He had second thoughts at first then, reluctantly left the Dursleys' house, although ten minutes late. _

_And as soon as he arrived at the Grangers' residence, the green Dark Mark mockingly staring at him above the burning house, he fervently wished he had cast his selfishness aside and went to Hermione's house a tad bit earlier. _

"_Please, be all right, Hermione," he whispered, "Please, be all right." _

_He saw her, crumpled on the floor, as she desperately tried to fight away unconsciousness. _

"_Hermione," he whispered. _

_Coughs racked her body as she slowly looked at him, her eyes half-lidded. "Ha-Harry." _

_And then, she started to cry. From relief or fear, he did not know. All he knew was that he scooped her into his arms, his tears of relief mingling with Hermione's broken ones. _

"_They're gone," she sobbed. "They're gone. He got them. They're gone. Oh, Harry, they're gone." _

"_Shh…" he consoled. "You're all right now, Hermione. I'm here."_

"_They're gone," was the last words she uttered before she slipped into unconsciousness. _

_Harry closed his eyes and apparated to Merlin-knows-where. _

_He just wished it was someplace safe. _

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_Albus Dumbledore stared at his office, a quite satisfied smile resting on his old, wrinkled face. _

_Looking at his collections calmed him down, especially after an exhausting day. A new school-year was approaching and as Headmaster, he had to make sure that Hogwarts would still be in good condition. Unfortunately, the Astronomy Tower was not. _

_According to a report from Argus Filch, Peeves had once again wrecked havoc. His victim? The Astronomy Tower. The poltergeist had broken into the Potions' classroom, gathered as many stored potions as possible, and flew back to the Astronomy Tower. He flung all of the potions simultaneously on the stone floor and had great delight watching as colorful fumes rose from the broken vials. _

"_Peeves had so much fun, ol' Dumby," he answered when inquired later on. "You should have been there to watch it with me." _

_Unfortunately, Peeves' shenanigan had caused a gaping hole on the floor of the Tower. It was enough for Professor Flitwick, who had a severe phobia of heights, to return to his room and refuse to fix the state of the Astronomy Tower. _

_Professor Dumbledore had to both restrain Filch ("He should be hanged, Professor! Hanged, I tell you! I should have done that __**years **__before if you had let me.") and Professor Snape ("Release me, Albus. That poltergeist should be taught a lesson for __**ruining **__my potions.") from killing poor Peeves... __**again**__. _

_With the help from a composed, yet amused Professor McGonagall and a boisterously laughing Hagrid, they were able to fix the Astronomy Tower back to its original state. _

_Truthfully, Dumbledore found these moments with his professors amusing. The Professors were always working hard, and to see them relaxed and smiling put the old man into ease. _

_Fawkes' pathetic screech cut him off his musings._

_His twinkling eyes landed on his pet phoenix and sighed. Fawkes was nearing his death and it saddened the old professor. He was his only companion… he comforted him on exhausting nights. He knew Fawkes would resurrect from ashes a week from now but it still saddened him to witness him explode and die. _

_And as if on cue, Fawkes exploded into flames and turned into ashes. _

"_I'll be seeing you soon, my dear friend," was Professor Dumbledore's thoughtful answer before turning back to his work. _

_But then, his work was soon interrupted when a loud pop resounded in the whole Headmaster's Office. Looking up, he was surprised to see Harry Potter in the middle of his office, carrying an unconscious Hermione Granger. The fact that they smelled like smoke and had ashes smeared all over their body alarmed Dumbledore. _

"_Harry," was his surprised greeting as he stood up and unburdened him by gently placing the unconscious girl on the floor. _

"_Professor, I…" Harry gasped and ran a hand through his cheek, wiping his tears and smearing more ashes at the same time. "Is she all right?" _

_Dumbledore looked at Hermione, felt her pulse, and nodded. "She's alive, Mr. Potter," he assured him. _

_He looked back at the distressed Gryffindor and retrieved his wand. "__**Oculus Reparo**__," he said, fixing Harry's spectacles. Apparently, his glasses broke while searching for Hermione. _

"_Now, Harry," he started, "run along and summon Professor McGonagall and Poppy into my office." _

_Harry gave Hermione a worried glance. "She'll be all right," Dumbledore assured. "I'm going to take care of her." _

_He nodded before bolting out of Dumbledore's office, leaving the Headmaster and his unconscious best friend alone in the room. _

_Now, Dumbledore cast some temporary healing spells on Hermione. Her heart was beating, that was for sure, but it was faint – enough to make the old man more worried. _

_As he cast the last spell on her, Hermione stirred and came back into consciousness. _

"_Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, allowing his gladness to be heard. "How are you feeling?" _

_Hermione tried to sit up and with the help of the Headmaster, she was able to achieve that simple action. "Wh – Why am I here?" She sounded genuinely confused as she looked around, surprised to see that she was back in Hogwarts in the Headmaster's Office. _

"_I was hoping you'll be able to answer that, Miss Granger," was Dumbledore's reply. _

_Her eyebrows knitted together and thought for a moment, before remembering everything that had happened an hour or two ago. "Oh Merlin," she groaned, standing up so suddenly, which caused her to sway for a moment. _

_Dumbledore was fast enough to steady his staggering student. "Miss Granger, please, you are not well enough." _

"_No, I have to get out of here." She was frantic, and it alarmed her teacher. "My parents… He got them. They're gone." _

"_What do you mean?" he asked. He steered Hermione towards his desk and sat her on one of the chairs. He then sat on his own chair and looked expectantly at Hermione. _

_The brunette still looked shaken but she heaved a huge breath before telling him the whole story. "Voldemort and his Death Eaters barged into our house and kidnapped my parents." _

"_Go on, Miss Granger. I'm listening." _

"_He… he tortured them in front of me." She paused to calm herself down. "He made them… scream and I have no choice but to watch them. I couldn't move. He restrained me. And they… they only laughed." _

_She hastily wiped her tears away. "They left me behind… burnt our house down. They think I'm dead already." _

_More tears trailed down from her eyes and she did not make any move to wipe them away. "It's my fault. If I haven't agreed to make them Keepers of the Order's secrets..."_

"_Miss Granger - ."_

_Hermione shook her head. "They were the last person Voldemort would think of. And Merlin, I was so confident we would not be found out. If I were just careful before, this would not happen."_

_Dumbledore, for reassurance, held Hermione's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Miss Granger, do not blame yourself over this." He released a rueful sigh before continuing. "All of the members of the Order of the Phoenix knew the danger of being the Keeper of our Secrets. And we thank your parents for volunteering themselves. Yes, we all made a mistake. We thought that they were the __**last **__person Voldemort would think of. But this already happened." _

_Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding her head vigorously. "You're right, Professor," she said. "I have no time to feel guilty for my own actions." _

_She reverted back to silence. And then, with shining eyes, she looked back at the old Professor. "I have a plan, Professor." _

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"Hermione?"

Harry's voice snapped her back into the present. She slightly shook her head and blinked. "I zoned out, yeah?" she asked, followed by a small chuckle. "I'm sorry. I'm just thinking about… a lot of things."

His eyes scrutinized his best friend. She seemed… tired and it made him worry. Sighing, he cleaned his spectacles before wearing them once again.

It was unfair for them, some bunch of seventeen-year-olds, to experience things teenagers their age do not normally experience. Fate… these seemed like a sick joke from _fate_. And Harry blamed it for thrusting them into a world where they were expected to act maturely than their age for the sake of _surviving _this seemingly cruel world. If he was given a choice, he'd rather choose to live forever in the cupboard under the stairs of the Dursleys, oblivious to his true identity.

Everything that was happening to his best friends, he blamed them to himself.

Sometimes, just _sometimes_, he wished he was not The-Boy-Who-Lived.

Sometimes, he wished he was not Harry Potter at all.

"Harry," was Hermione's humorous distraction, waving a hand in front of Harry's eyes. "_You're _the one who zoned out this time. Are you all right?"

He just shrugged his shoulders and gave his usual boyish smile. "Anyway, I'm here because Dumbledore wants to see you."

Hermione sighed. "I'm assuming it will be about my plan," she said, running a hand through her tresses. "I can already imagine Dumbledore's reaction. I just hope that he'll hear me out. I mean… he almost did not agree of me

faking my own death."

"Hermione," Harry, the ever voice of reason, "you have to understand. _You _are in _mortal _danger."

"I under" –

"No, listen to me _first_," Harry interjected, his right hand raised to stop her from talking. "Hermione, you are the only key to unlock the secrets of the Order hidden in your parents. You should realize that if Voldemort and his bloody minions discovered that the person inside that casket six feet below the ground was just a charmed pillow to look exactly like you, then he would not hesitate but repeat the events that had happened a week before."

A look of pain crossed over Hermione's face. Anything that reminded her of the things that happened on the day her parents were kidnapped was still a touchy subject for her. Any reminder made her blame herself more and more for not saving them.

"Look, I'm sorry," Harry said, his voice softer. "I know what you are feeling right now and allow me to at least help you, Hermione. I just don't want you hurt. You understand me, right?"

"Of course," was her simple reply before pulling Harry into a tight hug. "But I've made a decision already, Harry. This might be… more _dangerous _than Dumbledore's but I can't just stand aside without doing _everything _I can to save my parents."

"But Hermione…"

"All I'm asking is for you to trust me," she whispered. "Trust me, Harry. I need that right now."

Harry scowled and held the brunette tighter to himself. "I hate you for making me do this," he groaned, giving the top of her head a kiss. "You know that I _will _always trust you."

Hermione laughed at that and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Pulling away, she gave him a reminder. "Remember, console Ron and the others for me. I've seen what they looked like in my fake funeral a while ago and… just… just tell them I'm sorry without revealing that I'm alive, okay?"

"Okay," he said. "Now, run along before Dumbledore sends a band of Aurors and blow your secret. You know him…"

With another joyful laugh, Hermione walked inside Hogwarts.

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"Are you sure about this, Miss Granger?" was Dumbledore's question, his blue eyes plain without their usual twinkling.

"Yes, Professor," Hermione answered with overflowing conviction. "It's the most logical idea."

"But you are treading on dangerous grounds," he reasoned out, folding his hands neatly on top of his desk. "I understand that you'll be giving up your identity… even your _femininity_ but to plead the Sorting Hat to be sorted to Slytherin? I think that is too foolish for you, Miss Granger. You are quite aware that the Slytherins have a… _reputation_. And yes, I do realize that, too. And to be a Death Eater! Goodness, Miss Granger, I'm afraid to say that I refuse this plan of yours."

"But Professor!" she exclaimed, standing up to make her point. She leaned forward, nearing her determined face towards the Headmaster. "In order for me to save my parents, I have to be closer to my _enemies_. They are residing in the Death Eater Headquarters and I have to get in there. The only _logical _solution is for me to become one."

The Headmaster, pensive and quiet, suddenly looked older by a few years. He scrutinized Hermione, his lips tightening as minutes ticked by. Finally, he closed his eyes in exhaustion and sighed. "Miss Granger…"

"Professor," Hermione cut him off, walking around his desk to stand beside him. "Please… _please_, you have to trust me. I am willing to sacrifice _everything_ for my parents' safety. I cannot bear to just sit around when Voldemort might be torturing them now."

Silence ensued. Hermione sat back down on her chair and looked expectantly at Dumbledore. And Dumbledore… his face was too unreadable for Hermione to know what was running inside his head.

Finally, the teacher broke the silence.

"Miss Granger," he said, a small smile growing on his wrinkled face, "your stubbornness astounds me."

Hermione beamed upon seeing the resigned look upon Dumbledore's face. "Please, trust me," she pleaded aloud, her eyes shining brightly with conviction Dumbledore was driven to smile back.

"Your welfare is the most important thing now…"

"The _second _most important," Hermione reminded. "Harry's welfare is always the first."

Dumbledore chuckled and continued. "Your welfare is the _second _most important thing now, Miss Granger," he said, "and as Headmaster of Hogwarts and leader of the Order of the Phoenix, I am obliged to take care of the students under my care."

"Mister Potter is safe here under my care. But you, Miss Granger, _you _have to sacrifice your safety just to save your parents. And so, I think that the right thing to do now is for me to…_ share _to you some of my privileges."

Hermione carefully watched Dumbledore as he retrieved his wand. He pointed it at Hermione and performed a very complicated wand movement. White light glowed around the Gryffindor, which she thought felt warm and tingly.

The white light faded slowly until finally, everything was back to normal.

She looked at Dumbledore questioningly, expecting some answers from him.

"According to _Hogwarts: A History_, no one can apparate and disapparate in and out of the Hogwarts grounds," he started, pocketing his wand. "_Unless_, a certain privilege is bestowed by the Headmaster of the school."

Hermione looked delighted. One thing she loved about her magic was that she could 'apparate' or 'disapparate'. And knowing that she had the privilege of doing so in and out of the Hogwarts grounds made her feel special.

"Another," he said, cutting her off from her musings, "I gave you the privilege of roaming around the school grounds, even past curfew."

The brunette gasped. "You didn't," she exclaimed disbelievingly. "But… that's impossible. Even breaking a few rules!"

"Unless," Dumbledore continued, amused, "the student is in dire need of that specific privilege. By now, the Ministry of Magic might have detected that I have given a student that privilege. Do not worry, Miss Granger, I can handle them myself. As for you, you need that privilege for future events. I believe that… there are _meetings _happening outside Hogwarts without my knowledge."

Hermione nodded, understanding what the teacher was saying. Last school-year, she had heard from Harry that Voldemort had been summoning some of his Death Eaters in Hogwarts some nights for meetings.

But still, to have this privilege… now, she felt _beyond _special. She was so sure she would not land into detention for not being in bed after curfew. According to some of her researches, teachers and Heads would not be able to detect her; even if she was in the same corridor as the patrollers. _'Now, that is just so… wonderful,' _she thought, bristling in excitement.

Not that she would take advantage of that privilege! She was, after all, Hermione Granger, and she hated breaking rules unless she was placed into a dire situation.

"I assume that you are tired already, Miss Granger, so I am putting this meeting into an end," Dumbledore suddenly said. "We will talk more about this plan of yours a few days before term begins. For now, go back to your room and rest."

Hermione smiled and stood up. "Thank you, Professor," she said. "These things mean a lot to me."

Dumbledore only smiled back. "Now, off you go."

The brunette nodded, turned around, and then reached for the door.

"Oh, and Miss Granger?"

Hermione swiveled around, a curious look seen on her face.

"I do trust in you. Remember that."

She couldn't help but to beam brightly. "Yes, thank you, Professor."

And with that, she walked out of the Headmaster's Office.

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**A/N: So, liking it so far? Please tell me in your reviews. **

**Anyway, quick announcements. I still have no idea when to post the next chapter. I need volunteers to be my awesome Beta Reader. My '11 Things' Beta Reader seemed busy and all. I do edit my work, thank you very much, although I lack the so-called Super Beta Reader Powers! I do not really have the keen eye in detecting my grammatical errors, so there. **

**As for my WIP fics, don't ask me, please. I'm experiencing a severe case of writer's block for Alphabet Love and although I've started letter 'K' already, I can't seem to finish it. As for PiD… err, don't kill me. I really have no idea if I'll finish it or not. But gosh, I know that some of you already have the urge to track me down, barge into my house, and tear my hair apart. I'm sorry, I just lost my… you know, **_**interest**_**, in this certain fic. **

**So, that's all. Remember, those who want to volunteer as my Beta Reader, please include it in your reviews. **

**Ciao for now. :D **


	2. Identity Crisis

**Disclaimer: I think, I've already established the fact that I am me and will never be JK Rowling. **

**A/N: Yup, I'm back and alive. Gosh, school resumed yesterday and I am nowhere near happy. So, cheer me up with your reviews? **

**Speaking of reviews, thank you to all those who reviewed the first chapter. Yeah, well, I know it's just the start so I'm not really expecting too much. Oh, and I also want to thank all those who read my latest one-shot "Married Today". Reviews made me really, really happy! Allow me to be shameless and endorse this specific fic. Please, after reviewing this, do read the other one-shot, 'kay?**

**Anyway, that's all for now. Enjoy reading!**

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**Chapter Two: Identity Crisis **

The fact that the four of them were scrutinizing her like a hungry vulture made her sick in the stomach.

Hermione, together with Dumbledore, Harry, Madam Pomfrey, and Professor McGonagall, was currently staying inside a hidden room, which would lead to the Great Hall. Nervous voices and jolly greetings were heard outside and they did nothing to calm Hermione's frayed nerves.

Today, they would put Hermione's plan into action.

"I think," Harry started, "her hair looks a little long." He held the said tresses and combed it slightly with his fingers, trying to tame the short locks McGonagall had transfigured a while ago.

It was a great relief Harry was there. After all, he was a pubescent boy and he liked to look good in front of everybody else. Therefore, he had some idea about the latest fashion trends than the other three inside the room. If he was not there at all, Hermione predicted that she would turn out as a teenager sporting a look that was fashionable… in the late forties.

"I guess Mister Potter's right," Madam Pomfrey offered, having seen a fair share of teenage boys herself. "And… the curls do not match her… err, _boyish _look at all."

Professor McGonagall looked at Dumbledore with a frown. The old Headmaster just shrugged his shoulders and chuckled. She scowled and sighed, muttering a soft, "Oh, these kids these days," before brandishing her wand, pointing it at Hermione, and did some changes on Hermione's new look.

"Better," Harry commented, surveying Hermione from head to toe. "Nobody would even think that she" – he pointed at his best friend – "is actually a girl _and _Hermione Granger." With a cheeky grin on his face, he added, "I always knew you'd fit as a guy, 'Mione."

Hermione rolled her eyes and playfully hit Harry's arm. "Oh honestly," she said. "Here I am, _horrified _to the _bones_, and you go all cheeky over me. As my best friend, the least you can do is to _calm me down_." Her eyes were wide and as soon as she finished her little tirade, she started to worry her bottom lip.

The-Boy-Who-Lived chuckled and held both of her shoulders, giving them a slight squeeze. "Relax," he gently ordered. "You'll be fine. And besides, we're already here. There's no backing down. Just thank Merlin you have a teenage boy as a best friend to help you in pretending to be one."

"Mister Potter is right," Dumbledore butted in, giving her a warm smile. His eyes were unusually twinkling brighter than before and for some strange reason, it made Hermione more nervous. "Remember that you are not alone, Miss Granger. _Four _people knows about this, shall we say, little _secret _of yours. Do not be afraid to commit some mistakes; that is normal…"

"Just don't do it often," McGonagall offered, looking at her favorite student fondly. Knowing that Hermione Granger was doing a very hard task made the Head of the Gryffindor House apprehensive. But she trusted her. She was, after all, _Hermione Granger_. And Hermione Granger never backed down from a challenge without putting up a good fight.

"Yes, think of your actions first before doing them," the Headmaster continued. "You are treading on dangerous grounds and you never know what kind of person you will meet. All I am asking is for you to be careful, Hermione. And I deem it necessary to repeat it again: _be careful_."

Hermione looked at the four of them, amused. They were equally apprehensive, maybe even _more_. "Trust me," she requested them. "Trust me and be always there beside me and I know that this mission of mine will be accomplished sooner or later."

Harry enveloped her into a hug. Hermione returned his hug tightly and rubbed a comforting hand on his back. Knowing that she might be forbidden to talk to him once she was sorted into Slytherin made her forlorn. Heck, knowing that she might be forbidden to talk to _all of her friends _(which were mostly Gryffindors) was enough for her to rethink this _stupid _idea she came up with.

But like what Harry had said, they had started already. There was no backing down. All she had to do right now was to be careful, but at the same time observant and _sly _(she could not believe she just thought of that) in order to successfully save her kidnapped parents.

"The first years are about to arrive," McGonagall said. She was the one who would meet them and lead them to the Great Hall. "I think it is best for us to get ready."

Dumbledore looked at his magical watch and nodded in agreement. "Poppy, thank you for being here. You may now go back to the infirmary." Madam Pomfrey nodded her head, gave Hermione a small smile, before swiveling around and going back to her office.

McGonagall also took off to meet the frightened first years. Hermione absentmindedly mused about the time when she first laid eyes on Hogwarts, especially the Great Hall. It was funny but she felt excited for all of them.

"Mister Potter, you may go back to your table now," the old man said. "Your friends might be wondering where you had gone."

Harry's calm demeanor complete broke. He now showed his worry as he took one last scan on Hermione. "Remember, you have to _act _like a guy. Hide some of your femininity first, will you? If you get busted _before _you have saved your parents, I hate to say this but I am going to say to you a loud and resounding 'I told you so'. I am going to blame you if all of our friends" –

- "Harry." –

- "get infuriated for deceiving them. And" –

- "Harry!" That had made him shut up. Hermione looked at her best friend warmly. "You're babbling."

He sheepishly looked at her and scratched his head. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just… worried, you know."

Hermione laughed and affectionately mused up his hair. "Remember that I love you, okay?"

To her surprise, Harry scrunched up his nose, as if in disgust. "It sounds gross coming out from you if you look like a boy." He then grinned upon seeing the scandalized look on Hermione's face. "But, whatever. I love you, too."

Dumbledore said a soft 'ahem', reminding his presence. Harry and Hermione looked at him with an embarrassed smile and the Headmaster couldn't suppress his amusement.

"As much as I hate to break this 'friendly' moment between the two of you," he started, "I have to say that Mister Potter, you have to go back to the Great Hall now. My Welcoming Speech is about to start."

Harry looked so panicky now Hermione was driven to hug him tight. "I'll be good," she said, a hint of humor in her voice. Then, turning serious, she tightened her hug. "I'll be fine, Harry. Seeing you so worried makes me apprehensive, too, you know."

"I know, I know," he said, pulling away from her. "Just… good luck. And if you ever need help, just owl me, okay?"

Hermione nodded. And with that, Harry turned away and went to the Great Hall, leaving Hermione with Dumbledore behind.

The brunette nervously cleared her voice and smiled. "I guess, this is it," she said. "I… I just want you to know that I appreciate your help, Headmaster."

Dumbledore smiled and patted Hermione's head. "It is my job to help my students in need, Miss Granger," he said. "You do not have to thank me."

She just shrugged and looked at her own magical watch. "It's almost time, Professor. I think it is better if you greet all of the other students in the Great Hall."

He nodded his head. "Good luck, Miss Granger," he said. With one last warm smile, he turned around and left Hermione alone.

**

* * *

**

Hermes Austen.

That was the name they all agreed to call the new identity of Hermione. And for her, it was the perfect name.

Hermes was the Greek god of trickery and of good fortune. And as someone who was about to take the biggest task she ever received in her whole life, Hermione knew those two were the greatest things she needed right now.

And Austen… Dumbledore said the Austens were one of the oldest pureblood families during the Victorian Era. Unfortunately, there were no known relatives alive today. The Headmaster thought it was a logical thing to do for Hermione to adopt a prominent Pureblood family name… for safety reasons, of course. He thought it would be dangerous for her if the Slytherins discovered she was a Muggle-born.

And so, Hermione said a silent farewell to her old self and a warm hello to the new her. Outside, the Sorting Hat was already doing his job and sorting the new first years to their designated Houses. Her cue to walk out from this hidden room would be after the Headmaster introduced her to the whole school as a transferee from Durmstrang.

Her eyes landed on the full-length mirror Dumbledore was gracious enough to conjure for her. Her once long tresses were transfigured into short, boyish hair. There were a few curls here and there and in actuality, Hermione just slightly missed her long hair. Now, she could manage her hair without breaking any hairbrushes.

Her face was still the same, although, with her short hair, no one would even recognize that she was actually a girl and Hermione Granger.

Her breasts were concealed through the old-fashioned way: bandages, which Madam Pomfrey gratefully gave her. Professor McGonagall also performed a slight Concealing Charm just to make sure they wouldn't be prominent at all.

Now, all she had to worry about was her actions. Harry was right – she was too effeminate to be a boy. She had to act like a boy: act messy, act rowdy, act boisterous. All these thoughts made her nose scrunched up in disgust. All in all, it meant that she had to thwart all the manners she had learned from her parents.

'_Wait, I'm only thinking of Ron,' _she thought, rolling her eyes. _'There are other men there who actually have __**manners**__. Gentlemen.' _

Hermione released a loud groan and sat on one of the vacant chairs in the room. She was not even starting yet, but she was already having a hard time.

'_Maybe my idea was really not a good one at all,' _she thought, thinking about other possibilities. If ever she agreed for Dumbledore to hide her in Merlin-knows-where, she imagined herself cooped up in a shack in an island a hundred miles away from London with dolphins and fishes as company…

She made a face and shivered. "Whatever," she mused aloud, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She was here already. There was no backing down.

'_No backing down,' _she repeated to herself.

"… _and now, let us all give a warm welcome to Mister Hermes Austen." _

She bolted upright, her heart pounding loudly inside her ribcage. That was her cue.

"This is it," she said aloud to the empty room. She strode out of the hidden room and was greeted by the hundred pairs of eyes watching her as she reached the middle of the platform.

The Sorting Hat was sitting on the three-legged stool, immobile. It still had a lot of patches and Hermione guessed that a patch or two was added to the collection of the battered hat.

"Mister Austen, you may sit down now," Professor McGonagall said, cutting her off from her musings.

Hermione gave her a secret smile. She then sat down on the three-legged stool and allowed the Deputy Headmistress to put the hat on her head.

It was still immobile, giving Hermione the time to look around the Great Hall. Most of the students were bored already, probably hungry. Others were looking at her in curiosity, questions running in their heads mostly about her.

Hermione sought for Harry's eyes and caught them. He mouthed a silent 'good luck' and that had calmed her down.

"Thanks," she mouthed back, before averting her eyes on the Slytherin table. Knowing that she would be part of that table soon made her shiver and look away from the table.

The Sorting Hat was silent for a few more minutes and Hermione started to think that it was faulty. She looked at McGonagall with a frown but even she was looking at the Sorting Hat in surprise.

"Uh, Sorting Hat?" she softly murmured.

Its answer was a very loud gasp.

It had caught the attention of the whole Hall, even the Professors, who now looked at the mysterious boy in wonder.

"Hermione Granger," the Sorting Hat murmured for her to only hear. Its voice sounded surprise… _horrified _even. "But, impossible," it continued, "I thought you were… dead."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up until they were hidden behind her fringes. "I… uh…" She was feeling horrified herself. She was thankful that it was only speaking softly to her and not bursting out revelations for the whole Great Hall to hear.

"Um… yes," she whispered back. "I... have reasons why I'm dressed like this, Sorting Hat. Just don't tell anybody."

The Sorting Hat shook on top of her head – it was chuckling. "Ah, Hermione Granger, I sort people. I do not tell gossips."

'_Well, that was a relief,' _she thought, rearranging the Sorting Hat on her head in its proper order.

"I'm afraid to say I have to repeat the words I had spoken to you six years ago," it continued. "Intelligent… very intelligent, I must say. And your bravery is astounding. Your true loyalty paves way to having new friends. And sly, I should add. It will help you overcome challenges in your life."

The Sorting Hat was telling the truth. It was speaking the exact same words it had told her when she was still a first year student.

"Ergo, my decision is to put you in Gry" –

"No, wait!" she said in a furious whisper. "Don't put me in Gryffindor, please. Put me in Slytherin instead."

"Slytherin!" he exclaimed in surprise. "Gryffindor will bring the best out of you, Miss Granger. Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am," was her desperate reply. "Put me in Slytherin, please."

The Sorting Hat was drawn silent for a while. "Well, I merely give suggestions," he said. "The final decision will always be yours."

Hermione remembered Harry's story when he said that he was almost placed into Slytherin but once he told it to put him in Gryffindor instead, his plea was granted.

"Thank you," she said. "You have no idea how much this meant to me."

A wide slit, its mouth, opened wide and declared for the whole school to hear, "SLYTHERIN!"

Hearing his announcement should have relieved the brunette. _'Au contraire,' _she thought, standing up as she made her way towards the table where clapping students were seated. She chose to sit at the very end of the Slytherin table – the one nearest to the door, and dreaded the future days.

"Once again, I want to say welcome to the new students and welcome back to all of my dear students," the Headmaster said, disturbing Hermione from pitying herself. "And now, tuck in!"

**

* * *

**

"On this side is the boys' dormitory while on the other side is, of course, the girls' dormitory," a sixth year Prefect droned, seemingly bored. "This is your room." He gestured limply to an opened door. "Your things are already inside. By the way, you have other three roommates and you'll meet them soon. Now, if you do not have any questions, can I go now?"

Hermione glared at the Prefect. She was tempted to demand 'Do you like your position? Do you like what you are _DOING_?' He was seriously wasting his authority. She forlornly remembered that one of her goals in Hogwarts was to be the Head Girl. But then, because of _certain _circumstances, it was completely impossible.

Her nose then scrunched up in disgust upon thinking of the current Head Girl. It came as a _huge _surprise for her. And she had bet that most of her classmates were also surprised once the Headmaster introduced their Head Girl– Parvati Patil, the one half of the Gossip Duo. Not that she hated Parvati. She was still one of Hermione's friends. She knew Parvati ever since first year and she just thought that being Head Girl was too good for the Gryffindor. But since Dumbledore appointed her, she trusted him. She couldn't do anything, anyway. She just wished that her counterpart, kind-hearted and intelligent Ernie McMillan would be able to make-up for Parvati's mistakes.

"Can I go now?" he asked once again, now looking annoyed. "I have other _important _things to do…"

Hermione forced a smile on her face and politely thanked the annoying Slytherin before going inside her room.

The first word that popped up inside Hermione's mind was 'green'. Everywhere she looked, the interior design of the room was green, with hints of silver for accessory. The next word was 'cold'. Her new room… no, the whole _common room _was freezing cold once she stepped inside its premises. The smoldering fire did nothing to warm the whole room, making Hermione think that the whole room was charmed to be freezing cold, even during the summer.

Hermione located her bed at the very end of the room paralleled to another one and sat on it, surveying the whole room more clearly.

There were four beds in the room, including hers, and Hermione distinctly remembered that the Prefect told her she had three more roommates. It was a surprise, remembering that in the Gryffindor dormitories, approximately eight students were sharing a room.

'_Filthy spoiled brats,' _she thought, making a face, as she made a move to start fixing her things.

She allowed silence to ensue around the room, quite contented that no one was bothering her… _yet_. But as if on cue, the door creaked open and she was driven to look up to see who the newcomer was.

She only knew a few things about this Slytherin – one: his name was Theodore Nott; and two: he was a complete bastard to her and her other friends. She assumed that he would be her new roommate and she was not that thrilled to be living with him for the rest of her ten months.

"Eh," he said, catching sight of Hermione, who gave him a meek smile as she stood up. "The new kid in school!"

"Err…" she started, slowly stretching her right hand. "I'm Hermes Austen and I am your new roommate."

He had scrutinized her for minutes (hours for Hermione) until he broke into a bright smile. Instead of shaking her offered hand, he fisted his own hand and waited for her to give it a bump. The brunette, confused, stared at it before hesitatingly bumping her fist with his. "Hello, Hermes Austen. My name is Theodore Nott."

"Theodore," she repeated, a bit surprised at his _too _enthusiastic greeting.

"No, no," he said, shaking his head. "I like you, so I am allowing you to call me 'Teddy'!"

Now, Hermione was downright dumbfounded. Where was the bastard Theodore Nott? Because in front of her, all she could see was a jolly Slytherin named 'Teddy'.

"All right," she said, returning a genuine smile. _'He seemed nice,' _she thought. _'Maybe I just misjudged him before_." "Thank you for accepting me here, Teddy."

He chuckled, and to Hermione's great surprise, swung an arm over her shoulder as if they had been best friends forever. He froze for a moment and looked at Hermione in surprise. "You feel weird," he said. "And you look pretty wimpy to pass as a guy" – this time, Hermione was the one who froze – "nah, whatever."

Teddy then ruffled her head and gave her a boyish grin. "Since you are new here, I am going to organize a Welcoming Party! Oh, I'm so excited! There will be a lot of drinks… and food! Gah, I have to ask help from other people! And…"

"Teddy, you don't have to," Hermione said, cutting him off from his excited babble. "It's really all right."

"Oh, nonsense, Hermes," he said. "It's just proper for you to receive a warm welcome from the other Slytherins. Goodness, a little party will lighten up the whole common room. Have you seen it? It is _depressing_."

Now, she was really baffled by Theodore Nott or Teddy or whatever. He was a completely different person from the student she remembered as a bastard and a bully. But then, Hermione remembered that she was a _Slytherin _now and things were completely different from the life she had before.

The door creaked open once again and this time, Blaise Zabini came in.

"Blaise!" was Teddy's enthusiastic greeting as he hurtled towards the newcomer to give him a friendly hug. "Oh, I missed you so."

"Theo, seriously," was Blaise's not-so-enthusiastic greeting as he pushed away his overly excited friend.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me 'Teddy'?" he asked with an adorable pout. Hermione's eyebrows shot up until they were hidden behind her fringes.

"Whatever," Blaise said, pulling away from Teddy completely to go to his own bed – across from Hermione's.

That was when he caught sight of Hermione and stopped. "Oh, you are the new transfer student."

The brunette nodded and offered her hand once again. "Hello, my name is Hermes Austen."

Blaise eyed her hand curiously before gently grasping it to shake her hand. His handshake was gentle… polite even.

Before, Hermione could always see Blaise Zabini with Draco Malfoy. She assumed that they were best friends, _if _Slytherins even knew what a 'true best friend' meant. But then, despite the fact that he was always with the Prince Bastard himself, she rarely heard him talk.

Hermione then vaguely remembered the time when he became her Potions partner and he was… _surprisingly _tolerable, or dare she say it, _polite_. He never talked to her, even insulted her, and that was the day Hermione thought that maybe not _all _Slytherins were bad. This idea of hers completely changed once Zabini was again flocked beside Malfoy, not even doing anything to stop his 'best friend' from bullying a first year.

"Blaise, what do you think of throwing Hermes a Welcoming Party?" Teddy asked, cutting her off from her thoughts.

She directed her eyes toward the Italian, who then rolled his eyes.

"Theo," he said, "you've been throwing Welcoming Parties for new Slytherins ever since fifth year. Don't you think it's time to stop?"

"Nope," was Teddy's nonchalant shrug as he went to Hermione's side once again and swung an arm over her shoulder. "I think we can be great friends and a friend of mine always deserves the best!"

"You barely even know him," Blaise murmured, annoyed.

"Um," Hermione said, trying to butt in. Her eyes had gone completely wide, horrified. _'Are they seriously Slytherins?'_ she asked herself. _'They are acting… completely different from what I have observed ever since I laid eyes on them. And I __**rarely **__commit mistakes.' _"I think… Blaise is right." She followed her little comment with a sheepish smile before returning back to fixing her things.

"Not fair," Teddy whined, acting like a three-year-old. "Why is it that Blaise is always right?"

Hermione surprised herself by laughing softly. To further surprise her more, Blaise started to help her fix her things, an amused smile visible on his face.

"Forgive Theodore," he said under his breath. "He can be… immature most of the time."

Hermione laughed once again. "It's fine," she said. She liked her roommates more as minutes passed by.

Their bedroom door opened once again and Hermione assumed it was her third roommate. Inside her mind, she was already thinking what her other roommate would be like. Would he be adorable, just like Teddy? Or maybe polite, just like Blaise?

"Draco!"

Hermione froze.

"Draco! Draco! Tell them that I can throw a Welcoming Party!"

She turned her head slowly and as she laid eyes on the newcomer, her face completely paled.

"Get off me, Theo," the Ferret said, pushing the clinging Slytherin away from him. "Ah, seriously!"

From the corner of her eyes, she could see Blaise watching the other two with amused eyes.

"Blaise! What the hell is wrong with him now?" Draco Malfoy asked, annoyed.

"Well, we have a new roommate and typical Theo wanted to throw a Welcoming Party for him," was his answer.

And that was the time when Draco's eyes landed on her. Hermione's blood completely froze as she forced herself to stand up and offer her hand for a handshake. "Hello, I'm Hermes Austen."

He scowled, glared at her hand, and turned away, muttering a soft, "Whatever."

Teddy frowned and grasped Hermione's aloft hand, shaking it for Draco. "He's Draco Malfoy," he said. "And don't worry, he's just like that. Don't mind him."

"Okay," Hermione managed to squeak. She could not believe her bad luck. Fate might have been evil for making her a roommate of the boy she had detested for years.

"Are you all right?" Blaise asked, frowning.

"What?" she asked. "Oh, I'm perfectly fine."

Inside, she was screaming in protest.

'_Great. I am very much looking forward to living with smarmy Draco Malfoy for the rest of the school-year.' _

_

* * *

_**A/N: And, end of chapter two! How do you like it so far? Was it okay? So, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott were introduced in this chapter. I don't really care if they were out-of-character. I mean, they were not really introduced properly in the book series. Thus, I characterized them into someone I deem fitting for the fic and voila! Charming Blaise and Adorable Teddy. I have awesome ideas concerning those two. **

**As for those who are wondering what her real mission was and what the hell happened to her parents (why they were kidnapped), it will slowly unravel soon as the story progressed. But, do you get the gist? If you're confused, tell me in your reviews so that I'll be able to somehow answer it without spoiling the future chapters.  
**

**Anyway, that's about it. I assure you that I'm going to update every Thursday. I've written all chapters, remember? Oh, and there are forty-two chapters already. I was bored last Tuesday and wrote an epilogue… and I kinda like it. If I got wonderful reviews for chapter forty-one, then I think I'll just send the epilogue to those who're interested in reading the epilogue. **

**That's about it. Ciao for now!**

**With love,**

**2booklover4**

**P.S. Anyone wants to be my Beta Reader? **


	3. First Impressions

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's. **

**A/N: Well, Thursday's here (or probably Wednesday in your place. I'm following the time here in the Philippines). I can't really think of anything decent to type in my a/n. I'm seriously sleepy and my eyes are drooping close already. **

**Anyway, just some clarifications before you read. Hermione's seventeen here! I kinda realized that I mixed up her age after one reviewer pointed it out. I just remembered that she's supposed to be older by a year; thus, she's older than the other three Slytherins. SO, since I've written everything already and all, I'll stick with what I've written prior the reminder. Let's just pretend she's seventeen like the rest of the seventh years, okay? **

**Oh, and I've forgotten to include in the two chapters before this that this fic is loosely inspired from "You're Beautiful", a Korean drama. Just so you know, two of my one-shots are also inspired by the same drama. Take note: **_**loosely inspired**_**. Therefore, to those who've watched the drama, my plot is entirely different from the drama except some scenes that I thought would look awesome here in my fic. Oh, and yes, I did base Draco, Blaise, and Theodore's… **_**ahem**_**… Teddy's character from the three main boys. **

**So, that's it. Enjoy reading!**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Three: First Impressions**

"Are you all right?"

Harry watched as an annoyed, disguised Hermione Granger walked inside the room. She had sent him a distressed letter, asking him to meet her in the Room of Requirement. And though, tired on the first day of school, Harry had dragged his exhausted body inside their meeting room, ready for any complaints from his best friend.

"All right?" Hermione's almost hysterical reply, plopping down beside the comfortable couch Harry had conjured. "Do you think I _look _all right?"

Her hair, which Harry fixed before she was introduced as Hermes Austen, was disheveled. Her eyes were big and almost bulging and her teeth were worrying her bottom lip.

"Hermione?" was his worried question as the brunette completely looked at him.

"Oh Merlin, Harry!" she cried. "Hide me instead. I'd rather be accompanying dolphins and birds instead of that… that…"

"Calm down, yes that's a good girl." He tried to suppress a humored smile. "Breathe, Hermione. Calm down. Very good."

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, glaring at her best friend. Harry released a laugh and patted her head.

"Relax," he said. "Tell me what exactly happened."

Hermione's eyes showed horror. "Well, I was sorted in Slytherin, right?" she said. "I accomplished only the first part of my plan. And so, I was in my new room, waiting to meet my three new roommates." She took a deep breath and turned serious. "You know Theodore Nott?"

"Yeah," Harry said, knitting his eyebrows in deep thought. "The black-haired, blue-eyed bastard? The one who always insulted us whenever we are near him or something? Is he making your life miserable already?"

She shook her head, disagreeing. "Barely," she said, allowing herself to smile a little while thinking of the Slytherin. "He was… okay, I guess. Adorable, even. He acts like he's my best friend ever since he laid eyes on me. Do you know that he insisted on throwing a party for me?"

Harry only answered with a surprised look on his face.

"And then, Blaise Zabini, you remember him?"

"Tall, dark, and jerk? The Italian, right?"

Hermione once again nodded, absentmindedly running a hand through her short hair, ruffling it more. "Yes and I think he is okay too. He was polite all the time. Eh, he barely insulted us before, you know. He just stands and watches as the others do that for him."

"Okay, so your two roommates were tolerable," Harry said. "So, what's the problem?"

"Malfoy's my roommate," she said, scowling at every word.

"What?" came Harry's indignant cry.

"_Exactly_," Hermione said, looking hysterical once more. "I cannot live with that… that…"

"Ferret," Harry helped.

"Yes, that _ferret _for the rest of the school-year," she said. "I had to deal with Voldemort, for goodness' sake! I don't want to deal with Malfoy, too."

Harry was silent for a while. She expected him to agree with her but the next words he uttered shocked her to no end. "This might sound very impossible to you, Hermione, but I think the arrangement is bloody brilliant," he exclaimed, his face scrunched up as if he smelled something foul.

"Brilliant? What's so brilliant with living with _Draco Malfoy_? Harry, we are talking about _Draco Malfoy_, remember?"

"Hear me out before jumping into conclusions," he grumbled, looking at her pointedly. "Hermione, did you forget what Dumbledore told us last summer? Malfoy's a _Death Eater_."

"What's so good about that?" Hermione asked, frowning. She did remember Dumbledore telling them this revelation. And truthfully, she was not surprised at all. Having Lucius Malfoy as his father already sealed his fate – to be a Death Eater and served Voldemort for a lifetime.

"Hermione, _Malfoy's _on our side," Harry expanded. "_He's _a spy for the Order. And I know it's close to impossible. But Dumbledore trusted him. He can help you, you know."

Hermione made a face. Asking help from Draco Malfoy was like asking help from an Acromantula. But as she thought about Harry's words, she begrudgingly agreed. Harry was right. If she wanted to be a Death Eater, she could somehow ask help from Malfoy. Especially with him being a spy fro the Order of the Phoenix.

"You know, I always feel accomplished every time I say the right things to the one and only Hermione Granger," Harry butted in, a cheeky grin visible on his face.

"Oh honestly," she said with an annoyed voice, though, she couldn't help but show a smile. Harry always had the ability to comfort her, even in her most frenzied moments.

It was enough to thank Merlin she had a friend like Harry Potter.

**

* * *

**

Hermione had no idea whether to smile thankfully at Theodore Nott or strangle him to death.

Apparently, he pushed through with his 'grand plan' of throwing a Welcoming Party for her and the new first year Slytherins of the school-year. But based from the fact that a lot of seventh years and some lower levels were flanking her side and asking too many questions, she assumed that the Welcoming Party was mostly for _her_.

It also turned out that she was roommates with the three most popular boys in the whole Slytherin House and for her to be in their room for ten straight months was a dream come true for many, _if _they were in her place.

"Having fun?" Blaise Zabini asked, a charming smile on his face. He invited himself to sit on the couch Hermione was currently sitting on.

One thing she discovered about Blaise was that girls loved him because he was the typical 'Prince Charming' of fairytale stories. Sweet, charming, gentlemanly… name all of the traits of Prince Charming and he had it. Hermione found herself agreeing. Even if she just lived with him for two days, he proved to be the most polite of all of her roommates.

"I guess so," she said, looking around and seeing all of the laughing faces of her Housemates. "But," she continued, frowning at a nearby table filled with knick-knacks and drinks. "According to Headmaster Dumbledore's announcement yesterday, parties like this are banned."

Blaise released a good-natured laugh. "Hermes, we've been doing this for years, mostly because of Nott's persuasion. And I have to say that we were never, and I mean _never_, caught. And besides, Theo's right. The Slytherin common room is mostly… distressing. A little lightening up like a party is good."

Hermione shook her head and to her surprise, flashed a small smile. Slytherins were boggling her more and more. Contrary to popular belief, they weren't practicing Dark Arts every free period they had (Ron predicted that). Like her own Housemates, they hang-out with their friends and exchange insignificant or important anecdotes of their life.

She could not believe herself for thinking that Slytherins were actually… _tolerable_. And she meant that.

"Is it always like this?" Hermione asked to Blaise, who was now idly looking around the whole room.

Blaise looked at her and shrugged. "I guess," he answered, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck. "Do you do this in Durmstrang, too?"

"Not really," she answered. "Our punishments would be more severe if we were caught." She remembered the stories Viktor Krum told her when they were still dating.

"Oh," was his mere reply before giving her a smile.

Hermione smiled back. They bought her lie of studying from Durmstrang before she transferred to Hogwarts. The only truthful thing she said about herself was that something happened at her own home (completely burned down) and her parents were experiencing some… problems (kidnapped by none other than Voldemort). Vague, but still, she was being honest.

"Have you met people already?" he asked, cutting her off from her reverie.

"Well, some," she said, making a face. "But so far, my first impression of them is not that… good."

Blaise chuckled. "Some Slytherins are really weird but, you'll like it here once you get to know most of us."

"I guess," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "You and Teddy are really nice to me. I actually thought I won't have friends for a week. You know, being new and all." Her eyes widened upon seeing a black-haired Slytherin, whose eyes were darting around the room. She dove behind Blaise while he was looking at her in amusement.

"Hide me," she squeaked softly. "Don't let Parkinson see me."

Blaise chuckled once again and watched as a frowning Pansy Parkinson roamed around the room, her eyes seeking for someone. "Let me guess, you've met the whiny, flirtatious pug, already."

"That's what I exactly thought about her!" she exclaimed, resuming her previous position beside Blaise once Pansy was nowhere to be seen. "I am guessing she's really like that."

"Austen, Parkinson's like that with every other guy in the whole school," he said, picking a glass of butterbeer and gulping its content. "But, she's pretty nice to be with, as long as you aren't her objection of affection."

Hermione remembered the times when she saw Parkinson with a guy, which was _everyday_, and she had observed that she was with a different guy every other day.

"Don't worry, she would grow tired of you as the week ends," he assured.

"I hope so," was her reply, shivering at the thought of Pansy Parkinson trailing her around like an eager dog for the whole school-year.

Hermione had met other Slytherins with different personalities. One was Millicent Bulstrode, whom she had seen once in a while back when she was still not pretending to be another person. She was, let's just say, a _manly _female. She guessed that if you were to enrage her, you were likely signing your own death sentence.

There was also Stanley Mulkins, a sixth year student. He was a social climber, according to her own observations. He had been flanking her side a few moments ago and even if the words coming out from his mouth were flattering and sensible, she knew his true intentions. Teddy had warned her about this before the Welcoming Party and she was thankful she took his advice by heart. Stanley had been forcing her again and again to introduce him to her other three roommates and it irritated her to no end.

Adrian Pucey, on the other hand, amused her. He was, for lack of a better description, the resident womanizer. Blaise told her that his one and only goal in his life was to get into the pants of all the girls who showed interest in him. And so far, he was achieving his goal.

'_Sick bastard,' _she thought, drinking a butterbeer.

There was also a Slytherin named Rupert Montgomery who was said to be a loner in the whole House. He was a complete anti-social person and he drove away people who wanted to interact with him. There were rumors spreading around that if you annoyed him, he would creep into your room and hex you until you landed into the infirmary.

The most interesting person she had met so far was Gaston Gray. According to a scornful Teddy (which was surprising) and an insulting Blaise (equally surprising), she shouldn't interact with Gray at _all_. Apparently, he was once their roommate but he was a _backstabbing bastard _(sweet Teddy said) and so, they pleaded Snape to move him into another room. Hermione assumed his position as their new roommate.

"Hermes, the one person I wanted to see!" was Teddy's gleeful greeting as he hurtled towards his other two roommates. Hermione scrunched up her nose in disgust; Teddy was reeking of firewhiskey.

"You've been drinking," Hermione accused, removing the glass of alcohol from Teddy's hands.

He only frowned and grabbed back the said alcohol and gulped the rest of the drink down. "Rubbish," he said. "It's a party so I can do whatever I want."

Teddy sat down on the other side of Hermione and gave her a smile. "Are you enjoying?" he asked. "You're supposed to be, you know. You are the star of the party!"

Beside her, Blaise rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Where's Draco, anyway?" he asked. "I haven't seen him for a while."

The other boy scowled and jutted his thumb at a certain place in the room. "Sulking in a _bloody _corner," he said. "Party pooper."

Hermione followed Teddy's thumb and like what he had said, Draco Malfoy was seated in a secluded area in the room, a visible scowl on his face. He looked like he wanted to blend with the shadows and he was actually getting what he wanted.

"I miss the old Draco," Teddy whined, resting his mournful face on the armrest. "He's no fun anymore."

The brunette looked surprised. "What do you mean?"

Blaise gave Teddy a warning look; Hermione was able to see it. "Well, I guess he's changed," he answered slowly, _cautiously_. "He was not the same Draco Malfoy from the one we knew before."

Hermione thoughtfully frowned and looked at the lone blond sitting in the corner. Now that she thought of it, she never really knew the real Draco Malfoy. All she knew about him was that he was the Pureblood bully who had the sick habit of picking on people, even if they were in their lowest already. She guessed that if he knew she was alive and he knew about the state of her parents, he wouldn't hesitate but to rub that fact against her face for being useless on the time her parents needed her the most.

She looked away from him and scowled at her hands. Malfoy was a Death Eater and there was a big possibility that he was there on the day Voldemort and his minions kidnapped her parents.

"You okay?" Blaise asked. Teddy's head shot up and looked at Hermione, worried.

"I'm fine," she said. "Don't mind me."

Teddy frowned and shook his head. "This is your party," he said. "You should be enjoying!"

He looked around and whistled. An enthusiastic girl, probably in her second year, came bustling towards him, balancing a single glass of firewhiskey on a steel tray on her hand. "Lord Theodore has called me," she said, awe in her voice. "I am ready to serve you with all of my being. Just tell me what to do."

"Lord Theodore?" Hermione asked, amused, while Blaise just laughed beside her.

Teddy winked at Hermione and clutched the glass, giving the second year the most charming smile he could ever muster. The brunette swore the little girl would have swooned right there and then. "Thanks Mina. You can go now."

The second year softly squealed and bustled away.

Hermione, on the other hand, frowned and pointedly stared at Teddy.

"What?" he asked, giving her a sheepish smile. "She was willing to serve me at my beck and call. I'm just doing what she wanted me to do."

Hermione rolled her eyes and was surprised when Teddy had thrust the glass into her hands. "Here, drink it. That will lighten up your mood," he announced.

She eyed the beverage, curious. "I… don't drink," she said.

"Eh, it's just one glass," he said. "And you're a man. You should be able to hold down your alcohol."

"Theo," Blaise butted in with a sigh. "Seriously. You're being too pushy again."

"Nonsense," he said. "Now, drink it. You'll thank me afterwards. Trust me."

Hermione scrunched up her nose in disgust. She had tasted firewhiskey before and she instantly disliked it. _'Oh, don't be such a wimp,' _she told herself. _'It's just one glass. It's no big deal_.' Hermione looked from Teddy to Blaise and shrugged. "Just one."

And then, she gulped the contents of the glass.

The burning sensation started in her throat and she sputtered for a bit. Teddy absentmindedly rubbed her back to cease her coughing. Once it stopped, surprisingly, Hermione felt warm.

It felt nice.

"See, you did it," Teddy said, as if talking to a five-year-old. "Do you care for another one?"

Hermione was thoughtful for a moment before shrugging her shoulders once again. "Oh, what the heck."

"Brilliant!" Teddy was smiling so widely Hermione couldn't help but smile back.

Teddy then once again called for his enthusiastic second year avid fan.

**

* * *

**

"Another one, please," was Hermione' slurred comment, thrusting her empty glass towards Teddy's direction. "Come on, one more glass." She was dangling the glass now and Teddy, now frowning, pried the wineglass away from Hermione's slackened grip.

"Hermes, I think you've had enough," Blaise said from her other side, looking at Hermione worriedly. "How many glasses did you have already?"

"Uh." She raised a shaky hand and showed four fingers. "Three," was her gleeful reply.

"You've had eight glasses!" Teddy exclaimed, holding the unsteady Slytherin by her shoulders. "Even I cannot stomach that much."

"Oh don't be such a _party pooper, _Teddy dear," Hermione gushed out, trying to steal Teddy's half-empty glass of firewhiskey. Blaise had beaten her and hidden the glass behind his back.

"You've had enough," Blaise repeated firmly. He then directed his accusing eyes towards Teddy, who pouted at him in remorse. "This is your fault, Theodore. He clearly said he could not drink. Now look at what you've done."

"Well, I did not know he would get drunk after drinking his third glass," Teddy explained, holding both of her hands to prevent her from reaching a stray glass on the coffee table. "Merlin, he drinks like a _bloody _girl!"

"Anyway, what's done is done," Blaise said in an exhausted voice. "Let's just bring him back to our room before he does anything he will regret once he's sober."

He stood up and hauled Hermione up to her feet. Teddy also stood up and supported Hermione's other side. She was pretty wobbly on the way back to their room. It would have been much easier for Blaise and Teddy if they were not walking through a crowded Slytherin common room.

"Oh Merlin, how heavy is he?" Teddy proclaimed as they finally dragged the intoxicated brunette back into their room. The music coming from the common room was still heard, albeit a bit muffled. "Ugh, I think a headache's going to attack my head soon."

A pillow then came hurtling into Teddy and hit him squarely on the face. "Hey!" he cried.

"Shut up," Draco Malfoy grumbled, his voice thick with sleep. "Somebody's trying to sleep here."

"You're back here early?" Teddy sounded genuinely surprised.

"Party pooper!" the intoxicated Hermione butted in. "Hey, I'm having fun saying it. Let me say it again. Party pooper!"

"What happened to him?" the blond asked, now sitting up on his bed. Apparently, the noise his roommates made him wide awake.

"Drunk," Blaise answered, directing a pointed look at a sheepish Teddy. "Nott here's the culprit. Now, be a good roommate and help us with him."

"Oh honestly," came Draco's annoyed reply, although, he stood up and followed Blaise's request. "Seriously, he cannot stomach alcohol. Why the hell did he drink?"

"Ask him," Blaise said, jutting his chin towards Teddy as he forced Hermione to sit down on her bed. Too bad, an intoxicated Hermione was ten times more stubborn than a sober her.

"I just wanted him to have fun!" the offender whined. He then pulled Hermione in front of him and shook her, demanding her with a defensive tone in his voice, "Tell them you had fun! Go on, Hermes. Tell them!"

Hermione pushed herself away from Teddy and walked forward, her steps shaky. "Ooh, I did," she declared, stretching her arms over her head. Her three other roommates watched her carefully, thinking that she might pass out anytime.

She then twirled around, arms still stretched. "I haven't felt so _wickedly _awesome before," she continued, giggling softly. But then, her twirling stopped as she clutched her head and moaned. "But now I don't feel so good."

"What an idiot," Draco grumbled and rolled his eyes.

"Ugh, why is the room moving?" She released another pained moan. "Make it stop." Her eyes directed towards the other three and to their surprise, she laughed. "I thought I only have three roommates. Teddy, I can see three yous!"

Blaise sighed in defeat and retrieved his wand. "He leaves me with no other choice," he declared, pointing his wand towards the intoxicated brunette.

But before he could even utter a single word, Hermione tripped on her own left feet and toppled over. Draco, being the closest to the brunette, was instantly in front of her to steady her.

Unfortunately, Hermione's weight and erratic movements had knocked off Draco's balance and before he knew it, he was flat on the floor, his back aching from the sudden impact with the carpeted floor of their room. Hermione was now on top of Draco, her giggles the only thing heard in the whole room.

Teddy whistled lowly and looked at Blaise in nervousness. "I bet he'd blow up after five minutes," he said.

"Two," Blaise interjected, a small smirk on his face. "The loser will force to calm down Malfoy, okay?"

Teddy looked horrified with the consequence. An enraged Draco Malfoy was a dangerous one. He had a fair share of calming down his best friend and for him, he'd rather go on a date with the Giant Squid. But a bet was a bet. And he, as a Slytherin, never backed down. "Deal."

Meanwhile, on the floor, Draco was too horrified to talk. Eyes wide and mouth slightly agape, he stared disbelievingly at his new roommate, who was also staring back at him.

Hermione had this goofy smile on her face, and it grew and grew as she continued to stare back at her surprisingly soft pillow. "Ooh, you have a soft chest," she said, snuggling closer to him. Because of her intoxicated state, she was not able to hear the surprised gasp that came out from the blond.

She stared at his eyes once again and released a gasp of horror. "You have mercury in your eyes!" she cried shrilly, making a move to pluck his eyeballs out from their sockets.

Draco thanked his reflexes because if he was as slow as any normal person out there, his eyeballs would be now rolling on the floor.

'_Relax, Draco Malfoy,' _he told himself, breathing deeply. _'Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe…' _

He was cut off from his musings when Hermione suddenly giggled, her freed hand now placed gently against his cheek. "But you have gorgeous eyes; do you know that, Draco Malfoy? I feel like I'm drowning deeper and deeper and deeper…"

She paused, scrunched up her nose, and then did something Draco wished he had predicted ever since he laid eyes on Hermes Austen.

She… _puked _on him.

Blaise's eyes were as wide as saucers and stared blatantly at an unconscious Hermes Austen, darting once in a while towards a stock-still Draco.

His eyes then averted to Teddy, who looked as horrified as him. "Theo," he said, and Teddy slowly looked at him, growing more surprised. "I won."

**

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**

**A/N: Well, that's it for now. You just have to wait for next Thursday again. Btw, I could probably update earlier or later, depending on my schedule (AND my mood). Junior year is so damn exhausting! **

**Anyway, I just want to thank those who read, favorited, and most especially reviewed by new one-shot entitled "Married Today". Your reviews made me SO happy. To those who haven't read it yet, allow me to shamelessly endorse the said fic. Just ready some tissues, 'kay? **

**Lastly, I know this fic is a Romance/Humor (and we all know who's going to end up together *wink*). But don't be easily fooled by the word 'humor'. Just because I try to be a little humorous doesn't mean the fic wouldn't have drama and all that shizz. Need I remind you that I'm going to kill off one character? I've typed everything, and I felt so depress after typing the death scene and I did not touch the computer for days. **

**WELL, enough of those foreshadowing craps. Please do leave some reviews, okay? It'll make my day (haha, they rhymed!) **

**With love,**

**2booklover4**


	4. How to Tame a Dragon

**Disclaimer: Alas, still not mine. Only J.K. Rowling's. **

**A/N: And I'm back! Well, yeah, a day late. But who can blame me? I had tests in three major subjects and I had to study really well last night. Especially for GEOMETRY. Gosh, I do loathe that subject now even if I adore Algebra. Geometry? Just… UGH. **

**Anyway, enough with my ranting. Just read this. Still not beta-ed and I'm too lazy to proofread it again. I've read this countless times before and I think I've edited enough? Haha, I'm not really sure. Just read it and have fun! **

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**Chapter Four: How to Tame a Dragon**

_She was in an unknown place with, surprisingly, a swimming pool beside her. She was alone and woozy whilst looking around. There were stampeding hippogriffs inside her head, giving her a massive headache. _"I don't feel so good," _she thought, clutching her head in an attempt to stop her raging headache. _

_She needed something cold. _

_Her eyes then drifted on the swimming pool and an idea occurred. She crouched down, dipped her hand, and sighed. It was cold enough and she was sure that if she submerged into the water, her headache would be alleviated. _

_She decided to dive and once her body made contact with the water, she released another sigh. _"That's better," _she thought, doing some strokes for her entertainment. _

_Hermione submerged her head into the water. When she resurfaced, her eyes widened into horror. Something was different with the water. Its transparent color changed into an opaque one. And its texture was… __**different**__. Hermione scooped the strange substance into her hand and screamed. Her fingertips were turning pink, almost swelling. She was shedding skin, for goodness' sake! And when she checked her hands once again, she had noted that her nails were coming apart. _

"What is happening to me?" _she declared aloud, her skin feeling abnormally tingly… __**burning**__. _

_Another quick look around the strange swimming pool confirmed her guess._

_She was swimming in __**liquid mercury**__. _

_Hermione screamed consecutive "helps" but no one seemed to hear her pathetic cries. _

_She tried swimming to the edge of the pool but she just couldn't. Her limbs were frozen on the spot and defied the orders of her brain. _

_And then, she started to sink. She was going deeper and deeper and deeper… _

**

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**

Hermione sat up, releasing a miniature yelp in terror. She ran a hand through her short hair, trying to calm her thudding heart.

'_Just a dream,' _she thought, eyes trained on her bed. She was so relieved, thinking that she was going to die in that mercurial swimming pool. It was all together a weird dream… a nightmare. The feeling of liquid mercury surrounding her body was horrifying and she was thankful to Merlin she woke up before completely dying.

Now that she was awake, her vengeful temples released their wrath. Her fingers pressed against her temples, trying to cease their aching, but in the end, it was futile. All she managed to do was brush away perspiration that had formed on her forehead.

"YOU!"

The sudden scream made her cringe, scowling as her headache increased. She was about to tell the person to 'shut up' but the next thing he knew, Theodore Nott grabbed her collar and pulled her until his face was close to hers.

"Teddy?" she carefully asked, surprised at the resentment in her roommate's eyes.

"Don't you _dare_ call me 'Teddy'!" he hollered back, pulling her up until her feet were flat on the ground. "You… you disgusting pig! How dare you do that to… of all people… Draco was so upset… him!"

Hermione almost laughed at Teddy's incoherent talking. But she held the bubbling laughter; the fury in Teddy's eyes made her realize she would be in great dangerif she provoked him more.

"I… I don't understand," she answered. And she meant it. She was so confused she was awakened by a furious Teddy (who was supposed to be his usual immature and adorable self). He was constantly shaking her and it did not help her raging headache.

"Don't understand?" he yelled. "Draco… upset! You… disgusting! How… _how could you_?"

And the events yesterday came rushing back into her memory, her eyes widening in horror as more minutes passed. She remembered the time when Teddy made her drink a glass of firewhiskey. She remembered drinking another one and another. After that, everything was a hazy blur. All she could make out was being dragged inside their room… toppling over Draco Malfoy… mercurial eyes (that explained her weird mercurial swimming pool nightmare)… and…

"Oh Merlin!" she moaned, hiding her face behind her hands in embarrassment.

"Finally remembered, eh?" Teddy spat, his words finally coherent.

"I… I didn't…," she stuttered. "Merlin, is he all right?"

Teddy glared hard Hermione was driven to take a few steps away from him. It was surprising to see him so enraged. Judging by the fact that he had been blubbering incoherent words awhile ago, Hermione supposed he must really be furious.

"What do you think?" he spat. "He was… he was spewed by a drunkard and had the nerve to pass out after doing that… that… _disgusting _thing to Draco! Oh, how he screamed!"

"I'm sorry, okay!" she declared, this time frowning. It was not her fault she vomited all over Malfoy. She was forced to drink by _Teddy_. It was not her fault she couldn't stomach firewhiskey.

"Then apologize to him!" Teddy said, his voice a tad bit calmer. "Draco had been upset for the past few days already. He does not need some bloke who spews his innards out. Now go."

He waved his hand to dismiss her and she, not wanting to be in the same room with a wrathful Theodore Nott, scrambled out of the room without any hesitation.

**

* * *

**

Hermione entered the Great Hall with a great scowl on her face, right hand was massaging her forehead. As soon as she walked out from her new room in the Slytherin common room, her headache worsened. Some Slytherins greeted her and she forced a smile on her face. After all, she was still new here and she made it a point not to have enemies on her firstday in Hogwarts.

'_Speaking of enemies,' _she thought, remembering Teddy's fury. It was surprising he would be so furious over a thing that did not happen to _him_. Hermione felt a bit disappointed of Teddy's reaction a while ago. She actually thought he would be a good friend to her and help her (even if he did not know) to save her parents. It made her upset Hermes Austen already made an enemy… _two _to be exact.

Malfoy. Thinking about him made her headache worse.

'_Stupid. Stupid! STUPID!' _she reprimanded herself.

It was embarrassing to know that she vomited all over Draco Malfoy. And now… Draco Malfoy was mad at her. She knew he was. He was Malfoy, for Merlin's sake! It was common knowledge that he did not want anything to ruin his immaculate image.

She just wished she refused Teddy's offer. Draco Malfoy was a vital person for her mission. He was a Death Eater and a _spy _for the Order. She needed someone with positions like that for her mission to be successful.

Hermione then arrived at the Slytherin table and chose to sit at the farthest end of the table. She'd rather not be interrogated by curious Slytherins. But then, as soon as she sat down, another person invited himself to sit on the vacant seat beside her.

She was about to beseech him she'd rather be alone when a steaming mug of tea was placed in front of her.

"Are you all right?"

Hermione looked at her new companion and was surprised to see Blaise, smiling at her. "Blaise!" she exclaimed. "I… I'm fine." She grimaced when her headache told her the otherwise.

Blaise rolled his eyes, humored. "Right," he said, pushing the tea closer to the brunette. "Now, drink that. Tea can soothe your headache. I also added a potion that can help."

"Uh… thanks," she whispered, lifting the cup off the table. She sipped a little and instantly, the effect of the potion kicked in.

"Better?" he asked, his eyes trained on his breakfast.

Hermione nodded, this time smiling. "Thanks, Blaise," she said. "I feel a lot better now."

Blaise just shrugged. "Keeping a Sobering Potion is always handy," he said, eyes on her. "Especially if you're roommates with Malfoy and Nott."

Upon hearing the names of her other roommates, she frowned. Embarrassed, she rubbed the back of her neck. "I… I'm sorry," she said.

He looked genuinely surprised. "For what?"

"Well," she started, her frown deepening, "for starters, I just spewedall over Draco Malfoy. Teddy was furious when he confronted me a while ago." She looked at him and was astonished to see he was far from being angry. In fact, he looked completely amused. "You're not mad?"

Blaise chuckled and shook his head. "Teddy's being immature," he said. "He always had this… soft spot for Draco. He just blows up every time something happened to him. Weird, I know. But Teddy's just being his usual self. You'll get used to it."

Hermione smiled at Blaise. He was nice and she felt herself calming down in his presence.

It boggled her to imagine three completely different persons living in one room for seven years. She just thought that they would have… clashed. But judging from what she had seen for three days, they seemed to be getting along really well.

"I'm just wondering," she said. Blaise looked at her whilst chewing a hotdog. "How did the three of you become friends? It's just that… your friendship is a bit unlikely."

"Unlikely?" he repeated, amused. "Yeah, well, Draco and I were friends ever since we were born. We are practically inseparable. His mother and my mother are best friends so every time they visit each other, we tag along. And Teddy… well, we instantly became friends ever since first year. Let's just say he had no _shame _and had the _nerve _to sit with us in our chosen compartment."

Hermione laughed. "It's just weird you're living with the two of them," she said. "How can you tolerate them?"

"I've finally mastered the _art of ignorance_," he said, flashing a charming smile. "After all, ignorance is bliss."

She just shook her head, surprised with his answer. So Blaise Zabini was really Draco Malfoy's best friend. And it was surprising the House she had loathed ever since she laid eyes on them was capable of caring for other people. Sure, they could be real bullies, especially to people who did not meet their standards (like her). But they still had a heart, albeit a really tinyone.

The doors of the Great Hall then had burst open. Hermione averted her eyes away from her breakfast to look, but then wished she had not. Draco and Teddy were walking side-by-side and the blond caught her eyes. He gave her a really dark glare and looked back at her breakfast, ashamed.

"Oh, just leave Draco some time to simmer down," Blaise said.

"And when is that?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.

He gave her a sheepish grin. "Well… a while," he answered, hesitant.

She scoffed. "Blaise, even if I'm new here, I'm not stupid," she said. "I have this… uh, _gut feeling_ that apologizing to him was like taming a wild dragon." Which she thought was ironic, since Draco's name was the Latin word for 'dragon'.

He was about to retort something back when a Prefect gave them their timetables.

Hermione instantly snatched hers and skimmed down its contents.

"Great, Potions with Gryffindors," Blaise said with a scowl. "What a wonderful start for our day."

"Great!" she cried in enthusiasm. Her eyes widened, realizing her mistake. "Uh, I mean, 'Great'!" she snarled in sarcasm. "Gryffindors are a-annoying aren't they? Just looking at them makes my wand hand itch _terribly_."

"Yes," he answered, carefully watching her. "But you can say that without looking like you've eaten something rotten."

Hermione blushed and looked away, frowning upon hearing Blaise's laugh.

The school bell then rang. Blaise and Hermione, together with the other students, walked out of the Great Hall to go to their own respective classes.

**

* * *

**

"The first day is horrible," Hermione softly whined as she and Blaise dodged rowdy students who were eager to eat their dinner.

"Hermes," Blaise started, "first days are _always _horrible."

And he had a point. Every first day of school, students were still usually in their vacation mode. And so, their laziness and crankiness were evident. Apparently, even the teachers showed how much they hated the first days of school. Most of them, especially Snape, deducted points without any reason at all… sometimes, he made up some bizarre reasons and no one was supposed to contradict his decisions.

Speaking of Potions, Hermione concluded that their first Potions class for the year started terribly. For some strange reason, Snape already ordered them to make a potion. Almost half of the class groaned to oppose, but one sharp glare from the greasy-haired Potions Master had shut them up and they wordless collected the ingredients they needed for the potion.

That was not the end of it. While they were making their potions, Ron Weasley had _accidentally _added an extra pound of belladonna to Blaise's cauldron, resulting to an explosion. Thank goodness Blaise was nowhere near his cauldron. If he was splattered by at least a small amount of his ruined potion, he might be confined in the infirmary for a week because of abnormally large boils all over his body.

Enraged with Ron, Hermione, without thinking at all, brandished her wand and hexed Ron until he turned a terrible shade of purple. After all, Hermione became touchyevery time a person ruined another person's potion out of fun.

She realized what she had done after the whole room burst into boisterous laughter. Her eyes widened in horror as she stared back at Harry, who was equally amazed.

Ron saw red and was about to tackle her the Muggle way. But then, Snape came into the scene and upon seeing Blaise's ruined potion, a very purple Ron Weasley, and a horrified Hermes Austen, he placed two and two together.

He deducted five points from Hermione, which dampened her mood since her House hadn't earned any points yet. However, she felt strangely pleased when Snape deducted _twenty _points from Gryffindor because of what Ron did. He also gave him detention for a week. Hermione felt slightly guilty for Ron, but he deserved it for being a prat and ruining an oblivious Slytherin's potion.

She surprised herself for being furious to Ron for ruining Blaise's potion. Sure, he did not do that incident _accidentally_. But she would have been indignant if twenty points was deducted from Gryffindor and Ron landed himself on detention while five points were only deducted from Slytherin. But now, it was embarrassing for her to think that she was gleeful about the unfairness of Snape's actions.

'_Merlin, I'm turning into a Slytherin already,' _she thought, groaning inwardly.

"Are you all right?" Blaise asked, looking at her in slight concern.

"Oh, I'm fine," she answered, absentminded. Her eyes landed on Blaise and she smiled. He was truly kind. She felt remorse for loathing his whole being before. He was still a bit prejudicial to the Gryffindors, but he was polite and nice. He did not hex Ron for ruining his potion, after all. It was enough proof for Hermione.

It was a mystery to her why Blaise always accompanied her. Malfoy and Teddy still avoided her like she was the great plague herself and she wouldn't have minded if Blaise joined his other best friends. But no, he still stayed beside her and she was thankful for him.

"I'm sorry," she said, running a hand through her brown hair. "It's just that… your friends are avoiding you because of me," she added after seeing his raised eyebrow.

"Rubbish," he said, waving a dismissive hand. "They're being immature."

Hermione meekly nodded, a scowl growing on her face. _'Of all people I could puke on, why Malfoy? WHY?' _she demanded silently. Now that he was furious at her, she predicted her mission would be close to intolerable. Thinking about that made her blood freeze. What about her parents? What would she do if Voldemort successfully retrieved information from her parents and then… _kill _them afterwards?

"I have to apologize to him!" she announced to the whole corridor, conviction evident in the tone of her voice. Her determined eyes landed on the amused Blaise. "I have to go apologize to him. I have to!"

Blaise chuckled and shook his head. "Okay, okay," he said. "You can go apologize to him if you want. But there's no need to frighten some first years."

Hermione blushed once she saw the confused and frightened looks from the scurrying first years. "Sorry," she said, a tad bit softer.

"Are you really sure about this?" he asked.

"I have to," she repeated, her conviction unwavering. _'Or else…'_

Blaise sighed. "Fine," he answered. "Draco's usually in the Quidditch Pitch, practicing. I don't even understand why he's practicing already even if we just started school. Anyway, if you go right now, you might still catch him."

"Okay, thanks Blaise," she said, now running away from him.

"Good luck!" he shouted, slightly smirking. "You sure need that!"

Hermione waved her hand for thanks before disappearing. Once she was gone, Blaise shook his head. "A strange chap, he is," he said, before following the others and went to the Great Hall.

**

* * *

**

As soon as she arrived at the Quidditch Pitch, Hermione spotted Draco Malfoy. Being the only person in the whole school with abnormally silver hair made him distinct among the others. And besides, he was the only _insane _person to practice Quidditch on the third day of school.

He was wearing his Quidditch uniform, though, he had stopped flying. Instead, he was lounging on the ground, eyes gazed up at the velvety night sky.

Hermione took a few hesitant steps. Malfoy seemed exhausted and she did not want to bother him. But she was here now and there was no backing out.

No backing out. Funny how that sentence became Hermione's current motto in life. She had landed herself in a lot of difficult situations for a span of three months already. They were too big for a teenage girl like her to handle. But then again, she was not normal. One, she was a witch. And two, she was the best friend of Harry Potter. A lot of things were expected from her. She had to do everything for the safety of her loved ones. There was _no backing out_.

She released a sigh and regretted it the next minute. Apparently, Draco had heard it and was now staring at the intruder. Upon seeing Hermione, he scowled and glared before looking back at the night sky. His peaceful expression a while ago was completely wiped off from his handsome face.

"I… I came to apologize," she feebly started, taking more steps until she was a few feet away from the scowling Slytherin. "I… I didn't mean to… you know."

"Leave," was his sharp command. Hermione, despite her determination, flinched.

"Look," she said, taking more steps towards Draco. "I'm really sorry. I don't really drink and apparently, I drank too much last night."

He scoffed and then stood up, brushing some grass from the seat of his trousers. Draco bent down to clutch his broomstick before walking back to the school, ignoring Hermione's presence in the process.

Hermione, indignant, swiveled around and shouted a loud "Wait!" Fortunately, the blond stopped and turned around, his glare darkening. "I'm sorry," she repeated, this time in exasperation. "I'm doing my part. The least you can do is to forgive me."

He seemed surprised with Hermione's blunt comment.

She, on the other hand, lifted her chin in determination. _'No backing out,' _she told herself firmly, not allowing her stare to waver as Draco started to take a few steps back to the brunette.

He stopped just two feet away from her. Hermione waited in bated breath for him to say something.

"Stay away from me, Austen," Draco spat, a sneer forming on his face. "The first moment I saw you, I knew you'd be a nuisance. Thank you for confirming my impression _yesterday_." A look of disgust crossed his face.

Hermione looked affronted. "I'm not a… a… nuisance!" she cried, glaring hard at the blond.

A scoff escaped from his mouth. "If I hated the person the first time I saw him, the feeling will last. You cannot do anything about it, _nuisance_." With that, he started to walk away.

She was beyond livid as she watched him walk away. "You… you just wait, Malfoy!" she screamed, knowing that he could hear her. "I am going to prove to you that I am not a nuisance!"

**

* * *

**

"All right, calm down," Harry said, carefully choosing his words.

He found himself in the Room of Requirement after being rudely awakened by an eager school owl carrying a hasty letter from Hermione. At first, he wanted to ignore it. Sleep for him was precious, especially now that they were in seventh year already. But Hermione's post script scared the crap out of him and so, after bidding a woeful goodbye to goodnight's rest, he unwilling trudged into the Come and Go Room.

He was greeted by an enraged Hermione. She immediately blew up upon seeing her best friend, screaming words he could not understand.

Harry had calmed her down first and now, she was sitting stiffly on the couch conjured inside, her face red from shouting and her arms tightly crossed.

"Now, tell me slowly what the problem is," he continued, taking a seat beside the calmed brunette.

Hermione released a pathetic moan and placed her head on his shoulder, pressing her face against his neck. "Take me back, Harry," she pleaded. "I don't want to spend the rest of the school-year in the Slytherin common room. I'd rather be killed by Voldemort than… than sleep in a room with that… that… _vermin_!"

"Who?" Harry asked, raising an amused eyebrow.

She removed her head from his shoulder and scowled. "Malfoy," she stated.

A look of understanding dawned on Harry's face. "Oh," he said, after moments of silence. "He's making your life hell? Even if you're disguised as Hermes Austen."

Hermione groaned once again. "Malfoy hates the _whole world_," she stated, rolling an eye. "Maybe his _Mudblood radar_ alarms every time I'm near him. And so, he gets mad at me or something."

Her eyes narrowed and she grabbed the throw pillow sitting innocently on the couch, oblivious to its doom. Because, she then threw the pillow into the air, grabbed her wand, and blasted the cushion into smithereens.

"Whoa there," Harry said, eyes widening. Judging from the fact that his best friend ruined an innocent object made him realize that she was definitely _furious_.

"The _nerve _of that guy!" Hermione shrieked, continuing. "He had the _nerve _to tell me that I'm a bloody _nuisance_! Oh, I'll show him."

"Well," he butted in, "I hate to say this but I kind of concur with – I WAS JUST KIDDING!" He guffawed while slowly moving Hermione's wand point away from him.

Hermione's wand hand fell limply on her lap and sighed. All these worrying and shouting drained the energy out of her. Now, she just wanted to crawl back to her bed and shut the whole world around her.

Harry, noticing her sudden change of demeanor, sighed and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He pulled her closer to himself and for comfort, gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead. Hermione seemed to succumb to Harry's comforting actions and soon, her head once again found itself on his shoulder.

"I know you're undergoing a really difficult phase in your life, 'Mione," he started, now on his wise mode. "Trust me; I kinda get what you are feeling right now. Remember, you were the one who decided to do this. No one forced you to. And so, if you want to quit, the decision is still yours."

She shifted uncomfortably on her seat and Harry smirked. He knew he was knocking some sense into her head.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, will you," she grumbled, though a smile was visible on her face. "I hate the times when you're the wiser one, Harry. It makes me feel insignificant."

He chuckled and placed his chin on her head. "I treasure those moments," he retorted back. "It makes me feel that I'm better than Hermione Granger. And that's some achievement."

She playful punched his shoulder and he just laughed. "I just realized I sounded immature a while ago," she said, ignoring the eager nod she got from Harry. "Bleh, I shouldn't let Malfoy bother me. He's the least of my worries, after all. But… but Merlin, he's still a pain-in-the-arse."

"Agreed," Harry said.

They allowed silence to settle between them. And then, it was Hermione broke it. "How are the others?" she asked.

Harry shrugged. "Still coping," he said, carefully choosing his words. "Ron tends to stare into space these past few days. Goodness, I had to act like I'm sad and all around them. Ginny kinda got _touchy _yesterday when I told her that she should be happy. Told me I was being _insensitive_. Sheesh, girls."

"Hey!" she cried back, indignant. Harry only flashed a smile. "Speaking of Ron, I'm sorry about what happened in Potions class today."

"You surprised me with your actions," he said, frowning. "But we both know that Ron intentionally placed an extra pound of belladonna in Zabini's cauldron. He… _deserved _it. But, I warn you that he'll not forget that in the future, Hermione."

"Oh, I know," she retorted back, rolling her eyes.

Harry then leaned his cheek against her head, releasing a wide yawn.

"I guess we should go back now," she said, looking at her watch. It was almost midnight already. "We both had a _long _day."

"Yeah," he said, standing up as he retrieved his Invisibility Cloak from his backpack. He wrapped it around his body, making his torso and legs invisible. Upon one glimpse from Hermione, he scowled. "How come I don't have the privilege to roam around Hogwarts any time I want? I'm Harry _freakin' _Potter, for goodness' sake!"

Hermione flicked a finger on his forehead, shaking her head in the process. "Well, maybe Dumbledore will bestow this privilege on you if you faked your own death and have a new identity and gender. Try it. It might work."

"Oh, ha ha," he said, ruffling her head affectionately.

Then, they both walked out from the Room of Requirement. "Goodnight, Hermione," Harry whispered, giving her forehead a kiss.

"Goodnight," she said, watching as he covered his head, completely making himself invisible.

"Stay strong," was his parting words and soon, walked back to the Gryffindor Tower. Hermione, following his lead, went back to the Slytherin Dungeons.

**

* * *

**

**A/N: Well, that's it. Sigh, I'm going to rush this okay? I'm going to watch AVPM and AVPS again today because I am very depressed I still cannot watch HP 7 on the weekend… Yes, you've read right. I haven't watched it yet. My parents did not allow me because of the tests and all and… DAMN IT! I'll probably be watching it next week and WORSE, with my family. Don't get me wrong. I love them and all BUT they have no damn clue what will be going on in the movie so you know, the inquisitions and such. AND UGH, I'm really so depressed. And you know what can make me happy. **

**YUP, REVIEW! **

**With love,**

**2booklover4**


	5. Sweet Bribery

**Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine. **

**A/N: Well, here is the fifth chapter! I actually thought I won't be able to post this today. Whatever, some of my tests is done; some are still coming up. My hard work paid-off! I was able to have an awesome grade for geometry, which is the vilest, most loathsome subject that was ever discovered or invented or whatever by someone in the whole wide world. **

**Haha, anyway, I want to dedicate this chapter to **_**whenallelsefail**_**, my awesome Beta-Reader! Everyone, let us all give her a round of applause *clap* *clap*! Without her, my grammar might still be slightly intolerable. **

**So, here it is. Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Five: Sweet Bribery**

A week had already passed and Hermione was thankful she was still alive and disguised. Last week hadn't really been that eventful, except for the extreme animosity she got from the other Gryffindors. Apparently, they still hadn't forgiven her, _thinking _she was the reason why twenty points were deducted from their House and Ron landed himself his first detention.

Now, she knew how a Slytherin felt whenever he or she crossed a scornful Gryffindor. The difference was that the latter were less aggressive and less insulting. They contented themselves by glaring at her from afar. The problem was, almost all of the Gryffindors were glaring at her when the teacher was not looking at all. It was enough for her to be bothered in classes. Thank goodness she was Hermione Granger in disguise. If not, she would have run wildly to the infirmary, demanding for a Calming Draught.

Another thing that happened in her first week was Draco Malfoy's obvious animosity to her. That, she could take. She even gladly returned it back with equal fervor. Every time her eyes landed on him, she would remember those scornful words he uttered to her and her anger would spark once again.

Lastly was Theodore Nott. Unfortunately for her, he reverted back to his old bastard-y self. She could see from afar a sweet and adorable 'Teddy' mingling with some of his Slytherin friends, but once he saw her, his sweetness would completely disappear from his face. Instead, a dark scowl would settle on his handsome face.

"Theo has a weird attitude," Blaise once told her when he noticed her changed demeanor as Teddy directed a glare towards the brunette's direction. "He's _sweet _and _adorable _to the people he likes, even forcing them to call him 'Teddy'. But then, he will be his bastard self when he's around people he loathes."

That did nothing to raise her spirits. Even if he did not have the position Draco Malfoy had, Teddy was still vital for her mission. Since it was highly dangerous, Hermione needed to have as many _friends _as possible. Teddy proved to be useful to her, despite his immaturity. She had watched him in some classes and he seemed more advanced than her other classmates. She needed someone with magical ability like Teddy's.

"You all right?" Harry asked, noticing her silence.

Once again, they were in the Room of Requirement. They had an agreement of meeting each other during the weekends (excluding the times when they urgently needed each other). And ever since Harry arrived, Hermione had been silent.

His question was ignored and he frowned. She was still deep in thought, her eyes staring into nothingness. "Hermione?" he asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

She snapped out of her stupor and looked at Harry, sheepish. "Sorry," she said, rubbing her right eye. "I'm just… thinking of Teddy."

"Theodore Nott?" he asked in surprise, his frown deepening. "What did he do? Was he being a bastard to you like Malfoy?"

Hermione sighed, shaking her head. "He's _completely _different from Malfoy," she answered, scowling at the ferret's name. She ran a hand through her hair. "You know how I feel about people disliking me, Harry, right? Well, except for Voldemort and his minions."

Harry nodded, absentmindedly rubbing the brunette's arm. Hermione had always been uncomfortable every time she knew that some people disliked her. The fact that she had cried in the girls' loo when she heard an eleven-year-old Harry and Ron saying not-so-kind things about her was proof enough.

"Have you tried to apologize?" he offered.

She groaned. "He might call me a _nuisance_, too," she spat. Apparently, those words uttered by Malfoy still made her bitter.

"Try," Harry urged. "He might forgive you. You said it yourself; he's completely different from Malfoy."

"And besides," he continued, wrapping an arm around Hermione's shoulders, "you're still Hermione Granger. You know how people immediately soften every time you apologize to them, yeah?" Harry smiled, reminiscing the times when an extremely guilty Hermione reluctantly go to their room and apologize to him and Ron about things she had done.

Hermione made a face before leaning her head against his shoulders. "Boys are so… so… _mind-boggling_!" she announced. She was not able to see her best friend raised an eyebrow. "I feel like I'm solving a really, really _difficult _Arithmancy test."

"But you're Hermione Granger," he pointed out. "You can solve anything."

"Oh, let me rephrase that," she snarled. "Boys are like solving a really, really _difficult _Arithmancy test with _wrong_ terms. No matter what you do, it is still impossible to solve!"

"Unless, you tell the teacher something's wrong with the given items," Harry butted in, smirking.

"Honestly," she proclaimed in exasperation. "I will never understand boys."

"And I will never understand girls," he retorted back. "Now, can we stop talking about the ridiculousness of the opposite sex? I am interested to hear how your first week went."

"Well, last week was…"

**

* * *

**

"Thinking about Nott again?" Blaise asked, inviting himself to sit beside Hermione in the Slytherin table.

The brunette, surprised with his sudden arrival, looked at him in astonishment. "Blaise!" was her exclamation, which he returned with one of his warm smiles. Hermione sent him a reluctant one before glancing back at her lunch, still untouched. "How'd you know?"

At the corner of her eyes, she saw him shrug. "Well, one: you've been staring at him all the time. Do you know that?" Upon seeing her horrified expression, he laughed. "And second: you've been thinking about him ever since that incident in our room, Austen."

She grew sheepish, rubbing her neck in embarrassment. "It's just that," she started, "I'm uncomfortable when someone's mad at me."

"A pacifist, eh?" he asked, shaking his head. "Seriously, Hermes, don't be bothered by Theo's immature antics. It's annoying sometimes, you know."

"You're only saying that because you've never angered him before," Hermione pointed out.

To her surprise, Blaise released a hearty laugh. "Oh, I did. Countless times already," he assured her, taking a bite of his kidney pie. "He often has temper tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants. Like a _child_. What should I do? It's amusing to see him all worked up."

Hermione frowned. "Then, how do you deal with it? You told me yourself Teddy changes into a jerk to people who angered him."

"Simple. _Bribery_," he said with a nonchalant shrug. "Bribe him like a mother bribes her upset child. Give him sweets and such. Nott always had a soft spot for sweets. Merlin, I actually think he has a separate _stomach _to hold all of them."

"That's it?"

"That's what?"

"That's how you apologize to Teddy?" A look of disbelief crossed Hermione's face. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Because you weren't asking," he stated matter-of-factly.

Hermione sighed and smiled despite herself.

Upon seeing the smile on her face, Blaise raised an eyebrow. "You know, I just find it weird you're getting so worked up because of Teddy's anger. Guys normally… brush it off. Our egos are normally too big to ask forgiveness to others, right?"

'_Shoot,' _she thought, freezing on her chair. Blaise was right. Most men were too prideful to admit that they were at fault. Look at Ron, for instance. She had to always apologize to him first, even if he was the one who started the fight.

Blaise had been looking at her strangely, probably expecting a reply to his question. Hermione tried to calm her nerves as she shot him a small smile. "A pacifist, remember?" she replied, gesturing to herself. "I make peace. Not war."

"Honestly," he said, shaking his head in amusement.

Hermione chuckled, and for the first time, ate her lunch. "Hey, Blaise?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," she said, this time showing a real smile. "I feel much better." She absentmindedly arranged the food on her plate from biggest to smallest. "I feel embarrassed for always bothering you. Merlin, I just started here at Hogwarts and I've already managed to land myself into a lot of troubles."

Shrugging, "no problem" was his only reply.

"Eh, but I want to ask one more favor from you," she continued slowly. "If you'll agree."

Blaise raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Go on."

"Uh… do you have any supply of sweets?" she said and to her surprise, Blaise laughed. "What? It's just that I'm not really fond of them. And so, I never pack some before going back to school."

"Sure, sure," he said, giving her a charming smile. "You're really interesting, Hermes Austen. I do want to know more about you."

"Thanks." She grinned. "I want to know more about you, too, Blaise Zabini."

**

* * *

**

Blaise told her Teddy usually hung out by the Great Lake during break times. It turned out he was right because as soon as she caught sight of the Hogwarts Lake, the Slytherin was there, sitting on a big rock with a contented smile on his face.

She distinctly remembered the time when she went to the Quidditch Pitch to apologize to Malfoy. He was wearing the same look on his face.

'_Stop thinking about him, Hermione Granger,' _she reprimanded herself as she shook her head vigorously. _'Teddy and Malfoy are completely different from each other.' _

She slipped her hand inside the pocket of her trousers, fingering the sweets that Blaise and Harry had given her. Her bespectacled friend had discovered about this peace-making endeavor and generously gave her some of his supply of sweets he had bought in Diagon Alley before going back to school.

Hermione was soon comforted by the sweets. She was not really fond of them; her parents, being dentists, had been strict about eating sugary food. She just got used to not eating them. But if they were able to help her right now, she swore she would never scorn them anymore.

She was nearing Teddy and from this angle, she was able to clearly see him.

Teddy was handsome, that was a fact. Having black hair and sparkling blue eyes attracted a lot of girls at Hogwarts. His carefree demeanor also made the people around him at ease… well, those whom Teddy _liked _could beat ease with him.

It confused her to see these two different sides of Theodore Nott in a span of a week. Frankly, she wished he would be the adorable Teddy whenever she was around. He reminded her of her favorite cousin, Andy, who was as easy-going as Teddy. And knowing someone in school had the same attitude as her cousin's was a relief.

It reminded her of home.

'_Home_,' she thought, releasing a soft sigh. _'I miss home.'_

With these thoughts in her mind, Hermione's determination flared. Her hesitant steps turned into sure, determined ones, and before she knew it, she was just a few feet away from the Slytherin.

He still seemed oblivious to her presence, and so, she cleared her throat to catch his attention. Thankfully, it did the job, because his head swiveled around and his blue eyes landed on her. His eyes then narrowed and a dark scowl marred his handsome face.

'_I expected that,' _she thought. But deep inside, she still wished he'd stop looking at her like that.

"What do you want?" was his annoyed question, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Look, I'm here to apo—"

"I don't want to hear it," he interrupted, covering his ears with his hands. "Don't waste your time, Austen."

Hermione frowned. "I'm trying to apologize," she shot back. Her frown deepened as Teddy hummed a soft tune under his breath, blocking Hermione's voice.

'_How rude!' _she fumed, now understanding why Blaise told her that Teddy's immaturity was annoying sometimes.

"I'm sorry!" she hollered. The tune he was humming only got louder and Hermione, desperate, retrieved as many sweets from her pocket as possible. "Look, I brought sweets."

To her glee, he stopped his incessant humming, his eyes trained intently on the offered sweets. He slowly removed his hands from his ears, placing them back on his lap.

It was amusing for Hermione to see him entranced by the candies on her hand. But for some strange reason, she found his reaction very…_endearing_. Even if he was a seventh year already, he still acted like a child.

"For me?" was his feeble question.

"Yes," Hermione answered, nodding. If it was possible, Teddy's eyes grew sparkly. "I'm sorry. I told you I do not drink. I didn't mean to puke all over Malfoy, Theo. It's just that—"

"Teddy."

"—I was so intoxicated… _What_?"

She was so surprised when he flashed his adorable grin. "Call me 'Teddy'!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, grabbing all the sweets from Hermione's hand. He started to open one Chocolate Frog and ate it, his smile growing as he chewed the delectable candy.

A smile gradually formed on Hermione's face. "You're not mad anymore?" she asked, hopeful.

Teddy shook his head, opening yet another Chocolate Frog. "Nope," he said, eyes now on the brunette. "Thanks for the sweets, Hermes!"

Hermione chuckled in disbelief. It was amazing to witness his sudden change of attitude in a span of a few minutes.

Clenching her right hand, she then offered it to Teddy. He stopped eating for a while, looking instead at her fisted hand curiously. "Friends?" she asked, carefully watching the Slytherin.

Without any hesitation, Teddy gave her a fist bump and suddenly wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulder. "_Best_ friends," he corrected, leading her back to Hogwarts. "Come on, let's go back. I'm starving! I hope they're going to serve my favorite food today. Ah, being a seventh year is really tiresome, don't you think, Hermes? I just wish we're still first years and not worry about NEWTs. Seriously, the teachers are pressuring us to do our best when…"

Hermione found herself smiling up at Teddy. _'That went well,' _she happily thought.

**

* * *

**

"Is something wrong, Draco?" Teddy asked in concern. "You have this… _strange _look on your face. Have you eaten something rotten?" He invited himself to eat the chicken from Draco's plate, and concluded, "Nothing's wrong with your food."

"Theodore, leave him alone," Blaise said, shaking his head. He rolled his eyes at the glaring Draco and gave a comforting smile to a frowning Hermione.

It was a relief for him when Teddy and Hermione came to the Great Hall together, with the former insisting that she ate with them. Blaise silently admitted that he missed Teddy's boisterous voice and Draco's changed attitude. Now that Hermione and Teddy were getting along again, his plea was heard. But seeing Draco's dark aura was disheartening.

"What is he doing here, Nott?" the blond spat. Hermione, defiant, returned back his glare.

"Ah, come on, Draco. He's not that bad," Teddy said in her defense. The brunette averted her eyes away from Malfoy to give Teddy a grateful smile.

Draco, on the other hand, released a tired sigh. "Let me guess," he started, "he bribed you with sweets, didn't he?"

Teddy gave him a sheepish smile whilst rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't help it, mate," he retorted back. "They were irresistible!"

"Ah, seriously," he said, shaking his head. He glared once again at Hermione and was secretly amused at her equally dark glare. "Oi, nuisance!"

Hermione's glare darkened even more.

"Just stay away from me and everything will be all right," Draco continued.

Hermione scoffed and crossed her arms. "Gladly!" she spat back, her stubbornness resurfacing.

"Now, now," Blaise said, raising both of his hands. "Can we at least eat peacefully?"

The four Slytherins continued to talk with some constant bickering from Hermione and Draco, awed comments from Teddy, and exhausted replies from Blaise.

In the midst of their strange conversation, Hermione's eyes landed on the Gryffindor table and caught Harry's eyes. His emerald orbs were showing some concern and Hermione gave him a reassuring smile. Aiming his usual boyish smile at her, he went back to his conversation with Ron, Ginny, and the other Gryffindors.

She sighed, missing the good, old times. She wistfully guessed they were once again talking about Quidditch, and despite her longing, she smiled.

'_At least they are moving on,' _she thought, her eyes landing back on her three new acquaintances (well, if she could call Malfoy _that_), lips smiling softly.

At least, she had the three of them.

**

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**

**A/N: That's it for now. I'm not really fond of this chapter but whatever. I still love Teddy. Trust me, some of you, if not **_**all**_**, will love him more as the story progressed. He's like the little, adorable brother I've always wanted. I have a little brother but don't ask me how he acts *glares at the little imp*. **

**Anyway, I'll be watching HP7 this weekend already! WOOT! After waiting for a long, looooooooong time, I'll finally be able to watch it. **

**I'll stop here now. I'm not supposed to be up this late. I still have homeworks I haven't accomplished (namely, a Geometry assignment). 'Til next Thursday then! **

**With love,**

**2booklover4**

**P.S. BY THE WAY, thanks to all of your awesome reviews. I'm tempted to answer each and every one of them but I cannot. My mother will reprimand me if she discovers I'm still up and about. I'll try to answer some in the next chapter, okay? **


	6. Unnoticed Listener

**Disclaimer: After watching HP7, I just realized my talent is nowhere near JK Rowling's. I mean, come on; let's face it. Nobody, not even the best, could ever beat our very own JK! So yeah, not mine, not yours, only JK Rowling's. **

**A/N: And, I'm back with the sixth chapter. I'm sincerely sorry I didn't update yesterday. Today, we just started our quarterly tests so yeah, I have to study. On a brighter note, I've finally watched HP and good Merlin, it was epic! I found myself screaming in frustration after the very last scene. Ugh, I wanna 'Accio' July now. **

**Haha, anyway, I'll stop here for now. Oh, be warned, this chapter is un-edit. My beta is also a busy bee so she couldn't edit it on my deadline. I just hope there aren't too much grammatical errors. **

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Six: Unnoticed Listener**

"Hermes!"

Hermione swiveled around, her eyes wide in curiosity. She was greeted by the sight of a smiling Teddy, enthusiastically waving his hand to and fro with Blaise, who was looking as dashing as before, armed with trademark, charming smile.

"Hey!" she replied as she gave them a huge smile.

"Let's go to lunch together," Teddy announced, swinging an arm over Hermione's shoulder. Blaise took his position beside Hermione.

"How was Ancient Runes?" Blaise asked as he followed the other two.

"Brilliant," she answered, breathless. Her eyes then sparkled, her smile growing wide. "Professor Flaxworth gave a new lesson and he said it would be part of the NEWTs. It was pretty challenging, you know. But I loved it. I can't wait to answer our NEWTs."

Teddy scowled. "Ancient Runes makes me feel stupid," he commented, removing his arm off her shoulders. "I can't believe you chose that subject. I mean… _wow_, you must be pretty intelligent to be able to understand all those weird numbers and symbols."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Well, at least it's way better than _Divination_," she used a subtle sarcastic tone on the last word. Apparently, she still hated Divination with all of her being. Like what she thought in their third year, Divination was a waste of time. "What happened to Divination, anyway?"

"Oh, you know, the usual," Teddy answered casually. "Oh, did you know that I predicted how I'd die in the future." He released a loud laugh, startling some passersby. "It was hilarious, really. I think that if I really died like that, it will be part of the headlines in the Daily Prophet. Oh, tell him, Blaise. I think I'll crack up before telling Hermes about my _impending doom_."

Hermione looked amused as she looked at Blaise expectantly, who, on the other hand, sighed in resignation. "He will stumble inside a cubicle. His face will land on a toilet bowl. He will accidentally flush the toilet with his flailing right hand. And then, he'll die because of drowning. The end."

Despite the bizarre death of Theodore Nott, Hermione laughed. It was funnier because Blaise used a monotonous voice as he told her about Teddy's prediction. It was funnier, too, because in the middle of Blaise's story, Teddy had burst into uncontrollable laughter. He was laughing so heartily he had to hold Hermione's shoulder for support.

"It was _extremely _hilarious when we saw Trelawney's face!" Teddy said.

"Let me guess; she thought it was a weird death, yeah?" Hermione answered.

"_Au contraire_," Blaise answered from beside her. He had this huge scowl on his face once Hermione looked back at him. "She actually thought it was the most creative prediction she had heard so far and even awarded Slytherin with twenty points… weird old bat."

Hermione looked genuinely surprised.

"Blaise? Insulting? Are pigs flying now?" Teddy exclaimed in mock surprise.

"Well, there are really flying pigs, you know. They are called" –

- "Hermes!" Teddy exclaimed, laughing. His laugh was infectious and soon, Hermione found herself laughing, too.

"Well, I can't help it," Blaise said, butting in. He had this troubled look on his face. "If I was as intelligent as you, Hermes, I will really choose Ancient Runes over Divination. I really think it's just a waste of time."

"EXACTLY!" Hermione loudly exclaimed. She blushed upon discovering her sudden outburst. "Exactly," she said in a softer tone, "I mean, how can Divination help you in the future? Unless you are going to be some _seer _or something."

"Do you study Divination in Durmstrang, too?" Teddy mused aloud.

"Yeah," she answered back, distinctly remembering Viktor Krum's story of his life in Durmstrang. "Though, our teacher's _saner _than… the fraud."

"Ooh, why the insults?" was Teddy's carefree answer, laughing at the simultaneous frown that appeared on Hermione and Blaise's face. "Oh, whatever. Let's drop the subject about classes. I can't think properly when I'm this hungry." His whining was put into a stop when he looked around, as if searching for someone. "Where's Draco? I miss him so much."

Blaise rolled his eyes while Hermione shook her head. When Blaise said Teddy had this soft spot for Draco, he was not kidding at all. It was amusing that Teddy was looking up at Draco like an apprentice to his master. For Hermione, Malfoy was the one who should _follow _Teddy's carefree attitude.

'_It will be more __**tolerable **__if Malfoy's like Teddy,' _she pondered, wishfully thinking. _'But then again, if Malfoy's like Teddy, he will not be Draco Malfoy at all.'_

"Draco had a free period," Blaise said, disrupting Hermione's thoughts. "He's probably in the Great Hall now."

"Aw, I told him to wait for me," Teddy said, pouting. "It's annoying. How he acts like now, I mean. I… actually miss the old him, you know."

'_Hmm… interesting,' _she thought, looking back at Blaise. To her surprise, he was sporting a very pensive look on his face.

"You know his circumstances, Nott," Blaise said, his voice surprisingly cold.

"Yeah," was his soft reply as he ruffled his hair.

Hermione looked from Teddy and Blaise, still thoughtful. Teddy had this sad look on his face and it seemed like the brightness around him disappeared. Blaise, on the other hand, looked older for his age.

'_They're really worried for Malfoy, huh,' _she thought, frowning. Of course she knew about his circumstances. He was a _Death Eater_. It just surprised her that he was having a hard time. She wondered if they knew about his position in the Order.

"Anyway, this conversation is depressing!" Teddy said. He rubbed his stomach and laughed. "There's an uprising inside my stomach already. Can we go faster, please?"

He was answered with a soft chuckle from Hermione and an eye-roll from Blaise.

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Hermione briskly walked towards the library, _fully _aware that it was already past curfew.

Despite the privilege of roaming around Hogwarts after curfew, Hermione still felt apprehensive, looking over her shoulders once in a while to see if anyone was following her. She still felt uncomfortable breaking school rules even after years of doing shenanigans with Harry and Ron.

She glanced down at her right hand, fisted to hide the brief letter she received from the Headmaster early this morning. All it contained was for her to meet him in the Restricted Section of the library at precisely eleven o'clock in the evening, definitely past the curfew time.

Dumbledore's letter had surprised and worried her at the same time. The thought of news about her parents' welfare instantly popped inside her head. _'Are they all right? Where are they? Are they still… __**alive**__?' _Those questions ran wildly inside the disguised Gryffindor's frazzled mind and she fervently wished the Headmaster's news would be a good one.

She finally reached the front door of the library, its brass doorknob gleaming even in the dark.

With a shaky hand, she reached for the knob and slowly opened it. A loud creaking noise was heard and once again, she looked over her shoulders to see if anyone had followed her. Thankfully, the corridor was still empty and without any hesitation, she slipped inside the library and allowed the door to close by itself.

A wave of comfort settled on the brunette. Books always had a calming effect on her. No matter how distraught and exhausted she was, they were still able to console her. And so, knowing that she was going to meet the Headmaster in the library was a comfort for the Slytherin. But then, it still made her wonder why they should meet in the library when Dumbledore had his own office.

With these thoughts in mind, she continued her small journey inside the room, trying to walk slowly to cease the noise her school shoes were making.

Finally, she arrived at the Restricted Section. As soon as she caught sight of the familiar section in the library, she saw the Headmaster of Hogwarts, seated on one of the chairs as he busily scribbled words on a parchment.

"Miss Granger," he softly addressed without looking up from his parchment. "Please sit down."

Slowly, Hermione followed the old man's orders and settled herself on a chair across from Dumbledore.

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"Thank you, Blinky, I appreciate your help," was Blaise Zabini's final farewell before leaving the kitchen.

He heard the house-elf squeak "You are welcome, Blaise Zabini," before the portrait door completely closed.

Blaise, satisfied, started his walk to the library. He was currently carrying a parcel containing treacle tarts and steaming tea prepared faithful by Blinky, a house-elf that previously served the Zabinis before his mother freed her and she sought comfort in the kitchen of Hogwarts.

He was doing his nightly ritual: get his usual treats in the kitchen from Blinky, thank the said house-elf, and then continue his trip by walking to the library to read one of his favorite books whilst eating.

Draco and Teddy found his ritual amusing, especially his strange addiction to tea. Blaise had claimed tea had a calming effect on him and so, he thought that the perfect way to end an exhausting day was to drink a steaming cup of tea.

He had been doing this routine ever since he was in first year. It started when he received a letter from his mother, telling him some _good news _about a _new _suitor she wished to marry. He had forgotten the name of his mother's new boy toy that time. All he knew was that he was so upset about this horriblenews from his mother and sought comfort in the kitchen, which he accidentally discovered after following a bunch of house-elves.

After that, he just continued this strange ritual of his every night. On the first few years, he was always caught by a prefect or a teacher and he often landed himself in detention. But despite the continued warnings he received, they all fell into deaf ears and Blaise continued to do his nightly habit.

Now that he was seventeen-years-old and he knew more spells, he used it to his own advantage and used the Disillusionment Charm on himself to ward away possible patrollers in the corridor.

Suddenly, a soft meow alerted him. He smirked upon seeing Mrs. Norris perked up, indicating that she could sense a rule-breaker.

"Is something wrong, sweetie?" Blaise looked up and saw Argus Filch, limping towards his pet cat.

Slowly, the Slytherin backed away from the master and pet until his back made contact with the wall. His Disillusionment Charm was not that strong. It was, after all, a difficult spell and Blaise knew he still hadn't mastered it at all. He just thanked Merlin that the Hogwarts caretaker's eyes were turning blurry because of old age.

"Come out, rule-breaker," he announced to the silent corridor, his head moving wildly around to seek for the student out of bed.

Blaise watched in amusement as Mrs. Norris continued to meow in his direction while the caretaker was oblivious to his pet's pleas.

'_Sneaky cat,' _he thought, now slowly moving away from the patrollers and towards the library.

"Argus."

Blaise looked towards the direction of the new voice. At the corner of his eyes, he could see that Filch did the same.

It turned out it was Professor McGonagall, wearing her usual stern look on her face.

"I need your help, Argus," the Transfiguration teacher continued. "Please find Peeves for me while I fix the Headmaster's office." McGonagall closed her eyes in exhaustion. "And please, for the love of Gryffindor, capture Peeves."

"Gladly, Professor! Gladly!" was his enthusiastic reply as he ushered Mrs. Norris to follow him and Professor McGonagall, forgetting the rule-breaker.

Once their footsteps were not heard anymore, Blaise stepped out of the shadow, shaking his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe that of all being that could save him from landing himself on his first detention for the school-year, Peeves was his savior.

He took a mental note to thank the poltergeist.

Blaise continued his trip, now walking briskly. He planned to go back to his room before midnight. After all, sleep was precious to him, especially now that he was in seventh year.

Finally, he arrived at the front door of the library. He balanced the parcel on his left hand; the other pulled his wand from his pocket and charmed the door to open noiselessly. Years of sneaking around were really beneficial, especially with his knowledge of spells and hexes.

Proud with himself, he stepped inside the library and strode towards a far section in the library, just beside the Restricted Section, and settled himself comfortably on his favorite chair. He placed the parcel on the top, removed his treacle tarts and tea from the inside, and grabbed his favorite book hidden inside his robe.

'_How peaceful,' _he thought, nonchalantly opening the book whilst sipping his tea.

But just then, he heard the squeaky opening of the library door and he perked up. _'Another rule-breaker,' _he reckoned, amused. For him, rules were meant to be broken and he was glad someone thought so, too.

He unconsciously mused that the rule-breaker would have been roaming around the library now, probably a lazy git who forgot to do his homework or something.

Amused, he continued reading his book until he heard soft footsteps going into his direction. Cautiously, he placed the Disillusionment Charm around him once again and hid behind the shadows, waiting for the sudden intruder.

'_Hermes?' _he thought, surprised upon seeing his roommate walking towards the Restricted Section, seemingly apprehensive. _'What is he doing here?' _

He could still see him from the shadows, faint moonlight washing over his face.

And then a voice… a voice he knew _so _well spoke and he froze on his spot, astonished beyond comprehension.

"_Miss Granger," _Professor Dumbledore's voice said. _"Please sit down." _

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"Umm… may I ask why we should meet here, Professor?" she started. "I do know the direction to your office."

The Headmaster chuckled, eyes still trained on his unfinished letter. "Ah, once again, our beloved poltergeist wrecked havoc. Unfortunately, he chose to do his _hobby_ in my office. So, Miss Granger, my office is currently under maintenance and I had no choice but to ask you to meet me here in the library."

"But this is sudden, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione continued, her eyebrows knitting together. "Did something happen to my… _parents_?" Her voice faltered, her face grew worried. Out of habit, she started to worry her bottom lip, eyes trained intently on the aged Headmaster across from her.

Dumbledore finally looked away from his parchment to Hermione, a tired look on his face. The twinkle he had in his cerulean eyes a while ago was gone. _'Oh no,' _she apprehensively thought. _'That's not a good sign.' _

The Headmaster shifted on his seat and leaned slightly forward, his arms placed on the table for support. He joined both of his hands in a pensive manner. A wistful sigh escaped from his lips as he watched his student, who was growing more apprehensive as more minutes ticked by.

"They are, shall we say, _fine_, Miss Granger," he started, carefully choosing his words. "According to our _spies_, your parents are currently residing in the Malfoy Manor somewhere in the West Wing."

"Malfoy Manor?" she squeaked, her blood running cold.

Dumbledore nodded, absentmindedly stroking his beard. "Miss Granger, you do know that they are _too _valuable for Voldemort to kill," he said in an assuring tone, frowning at the sudden paleness of the disguised brunette in front of him.

Hermione merely nodded, eyes now downcast. "It's just that… _they are still in danger_," she said, almost inaudibly.

His only answer was a tired sigh. He unlaced his hands and allowed his back to touch the backrest of his chair, truly exhausted. "I can't say the news I am about to deliver is a good one, Miss Granger." He paused, noticing as Hermione bristled on her seat. "But, I assure you that we are still doing our best to do something about your parents' current predicament."

She hated herself for the next thing she did – she started to cry. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, knowing that she looked like a fool, crying in front of her Headmaster. But her tears seemed stubborn today as they steadily fell down from her eyes down to her chin.

"I'm sorry," she said, releasing a wet chuckle. Hermione haphazardly brushed a hand through her face and tried to hide her face from Dumbledore.

"It's perfectly understandable," Dumbledore asked, looking at her in concern. "I admit that I'm also at fault here. I should have been more cautious…"

"Don't blame yourself, Professor," she interjected. Her eyes, despite her tears, disagreed to what he had said. "I also committed a mistake… we should not blame anybody."

He cracked a small smile, pushing his half-moon spectacles up the bridge of his nose. "Anyway," he started, giving her his handkerchief for her tears. Hermione gratefully accepted it and gave Dumbledore a small smile of her own. "This news I'm about to tell you is a bit… distressing, Miss Granger. Please brace yourself."

"It had come to my knowledge that Voldemort already discovered a charm that can break the spell and reveal the secrets of the Order."

"Already discovered a ch" –

- "Miss Granger, I'll appreciate it if you let me speak first." Upon receiving a curt nod from Hermione, he continued. "_Totus specialis ostendo sum [1]_. Ever heard of that?"

The brunette knitted her eyebrows, deep in thought. "It sounds familiar…" Her voice trailed off, trying to remember about the pieces of information she had gathered through her readings. "I'm sorry but all I can remember is that you have to perform a really complicated wand movement for the spell to be activated."

"Indeed," Dumbledore said, nodding in confirmation. "This is an extremely advanced magic. Even Rowena Ravenclaw herself had a hard time performing this spell."

Hermione's eyes widened, now familiar with the spell. "Wait," she said, her eyebrows knitting once again, "It's not just a mere one-worded spell, Professor. It's an incantation… a really long one. That's why they called it _Totus specialis ostendo sum _to be shorter. You have to be both precise and fluent in Latin for the spell to be activated."

Once again, Dumbledore nodded in confirmation. "Severus had told me that Voldemort had already performed this spell on your parents" –

- "WHAT?" –

- "_But_," he interjected with an emphasis. Hermione clamped her mouth, bottling up all the panic and anger she was feeling inside. "But," Dumbledore continued, "the spell will have its full effect for a long span of time. Approximately ten months. It is not precisely the best option for Voldemort, Miss Granger. But it is the most sensible one since the other option is for Voldemort to _kill _himself to break the spell."

The brunette scoffed. "As if," she spat. Upon seeing the look on the Headmaster's face, she quickly apologized.

"And so, I give you this advice, my dear student," he said. "You have ten months to save your parents. A whole school-year. I am asking you to do your very best, Miss Granger. And, if you are having a hard time, please, do not hesitate to approach me and ask for help. Even the bravest and most intelligent person in the whole world needs someone to battle the trials of life with him."

Hermione nodded with conviction. "Yes," she said. "Yes, I will take that by heart, Professor Dumbledore." She stood up and humbly bowed. "I'm really thankful for your help, Headmaster. Without you, I would have done something rash right now just to save my parents."

Dumbledore chuckled and waved a dismissive hand. "You do not need to thank me, Miss Granger," he said as Hermione straightened up. "I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts. It is a pleasure for me to help my students in need."

"Thank you, Professor," she said, despite what he had said a while ago. "This really means so much to me."

"Ah," he started. "Now, I think if it's best for you to retire back to your room. I am aware of the exhausting activities you'd undergone this morning."

Hermione nodded. "Thank you," she said once again, a huge smile on her face. "Goodnight, Professor Dumbledore."

"Goodnight, Miss Granger."

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"_Goodnight, Miss Granger." _

Blaise immediately hid in the shadows once again, slightly crouching as his roommate strode away from the Restricted Section.

'_Hermione Granger, huh?' _he thought, amused, as he resumed his previous position on the chair.

His tea, he forlornly thought, had gone cold now after his negligence. But for now, he did not care. His mind was filled with the new information he had gathered.

He had always suspected that Hermes Austen was hiding something… _fishy_. That was why he always walked beside him (_'Or should I say her?' _he thought) just to unravel the mystery surrounding the transfer student.

But he never expected this… _bizarre _situation. Knowing that Hermes Austen was really Hermione Granger in disguise was beyond amusing.

When he first heard that Hermione Granger died after an attack from the Death Eaters, he was in disbelief. She was Hermione Granger, for Merlin's sake, and she, of all people, should be able to save herself from Voldemort's minions.

And now, knowing that his roommate was actually a disguised female brought a huge grin on his face. His past few years had not really been that eventful. And now, he had a feeling he would be enjoying his seventh year.

"Mister Zabini."

His musings were cut off when Professor Dumbledore suddenly appeared in front of him, his eyebrows raised until they hid behind his white fringes. "Another nightly ritual of yours, I suppose."

Blaise gave a sheepish smile. The Headmaster had caught him a million times roaming around Hogwarts after curfew. Most of the time, he caught him on this particular table, doing his nightly rituals. He was never that stern, unlike, let's just say, Professor McGonagall. Instead of a detention, he would only deduct five points from Slytherin and allowed him to finish his tea and his snack before he returned to his dormitory.

"I believe you should go back to your room, my dear boy," he said, his blue eyes once again twinkling. "Five points from Slytherin."

"Yes, sir," he said, making the plate of treacle tart and his tea disappear with just a wave of his wand. "Goodnight, Professor."

"Goodnight, Mister Zabini," was his farewell before turning around and leaving the library.

Blaise swore he saw the Headmaster wink at him. And as the Italian trudged back to the Slytherin common room (after dodging annoying Mrs. Norris and her caretaker once again), he couldn't help but think that maybe, _maybe_ Professor Dumbledore chose that spot, knowing that Blaise would be near the Restricted Section, and _purposely _allowed him to hear the secret of Hermes Austen.

'_Nah,' _he thought, dismissing the fact. He released a wide yawn upon reaching the Slytherin common room. _'Why would he?' _

Shrugging, he just walked inside his room, smirked at Hermione's form on her bed, and slipped under the comforter of his own bed just across hers, allowing sleep to take over him.

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**Review Responses**

**fantasia-49: ***bows* Thank you. Haha, chapter five had not really been one of my favorites (there are others I absolutely love, which I hope you'll love, too). But, thanks, nonetheless.

**leyleybballloco: **well, here's the next chapter! Do tell me what you thought about it.

**Isabella120: **I KNOW! Draco's screen time was too little… eh, well, he's not exactly the main character in JK Rowling's HARRY POTTER SERIES. Haha, anyway, but I promise this story will have more of him, him, and him alone. :D Thanks for the review!

**Kathy T: **Eh, I really wanted to make Theodore… _ahem_… Teddy childish. Actually, at first, I'm not planning on including him in this story. But then, I saw the name 'Theo Nott', who we really don't encounter too much in the book, and thought "Hey, why not?" and TADA! Our beloved Teddy Nott emerged. Truth be told, I always wanted to know a person that has the same attitude like Teddy's. Anyway, thanks for the review!

**Karate Chic: **Haha, Hermione needs to be VERY optimistic if she has to accomplish this seemingly huge task. Anyway, thanks for the review!

**laugh-out-loud94: **Yay, me, too! I love it when Teddy's an adorable one, not the bastard-y one. Haha, thanks for the lovely review!

**flamingbunnies: **Hahaha, me, too. Aww, I actually based Teddy's huge stomach for sweets with my own. Yep, just give me some sweets, especially my favorite ones, and I'll be happy for the rest of the day. Anyway, thanks for the review!

**TLy: **Aww, thanks for the compliment. *blushes* Aww, and I do love the Teddy and Blaise in this story! And, come on, not all Slytherins are THAT bad. There are actually good ones that can act like the normal Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs. Anyway, thanks for the great review!

**Bbyebiebercozoftattoo: **Teddy is so cute… and he's mine! Yeah, well, JK never called him 'Teddy' in her story so I think it's perfectly legal for me to say that Teddy's mine. As for your previous question, well, it actually depends. If we both live in the Philippines or countries that have the same time blahs, then, I mostly update on Thursdays. If not, then most probably you receive my update in late Wednesdays. AND, if I'm actually very, very busy, I might update on Friday (like now) or Saturday. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Krabby Patties: **Keep waiting if you want to be more entertained! Thanks for the review! :D

**Toxi-Tortured Suicidal Screams: **Even before I was introduced to the fanfiction world, I've always wanted to live in Hogwarts! I mean, I think it'll be totally awesome to be carrying a wand anywhere, everywhere and attending magical subjects and such. But, too bad we're merely MUGGLES! Meh, I still want to believe that Hogwarts is real and the owl carrying my Acceptance Letter died from a tragic airplane crash *sob* HAHAHA. Anyway, thanks for the review!

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_[1] _**Totus specialis ostendo sum: **"All secrets revealed"

**A/N: Uh-oh, Blaise already knows! Then that means… OaP is close to its impending end… NOT. Haha, yeah, well, like what I've said before, this will have forty-one chapters with an epilogue. REVIEW PLEASE, okay? Make me a happy person today since I had an extremely rough day. **

**OH, anyway, I have an announcement to make. I'm currently formulating a new story and all and it's not entirely done yet. I mean, I'm still writing the outlines and all. The catch is, this time, it won't be Dramione AND this time, it'll be a crossover between Harry Potter and NARNIA. I've always loved Narnia; it's close to my heart. So, what do you think? Oh, and of course there'll be romance. If a lot voiced out their interest, I'll reveal the pair in the next chapter. BUT, be warned that I won't be able to post it sooner. Like what I've said, I'm still in the process of coming up of the entire plot and I have this feeling it might take a while. I'm still jotting down ideas and all so there. **

**That's about it, I think. AGAIN, don't forget to review. And please include in your reviews your opinions about my announcement. **

**Hence, ciao for now!**

**With love,  
****2booklover4**


	7. Accident Prone

**Disclaimer: Not mine, not yours. Only JK Rowling's.**

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**A/N: Well, I'm back. Sorry for the slight delay. I found an awesome **_**manga**_** (you know, Japanese books) and I can't stop from reading it; thus, the delay. Meh, at least our tests are done! Next week will be our last week in school and well, it's really a 'free' week already since we have no classes already so expect me to be not-so-busy anymore! Besides, Christmas break is fast approaching!**

**Haha, anyway, enough of this. I just have to apologize, though. This chapter is 'half-Beta'd'. I feel so sorry for my awesome beta since she's so busy and all while I'm free already. Well, I don't really care. I still love her to pieces, anyway!**

**That's it. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Seven: Accident Prone**

It was Hogsmeade Day, and students from Years Three to Seven were undoubtedly happy to take a break from their classes and assignments.

Hermione, Draco, Blaise, and Teddy were seen walking together in the streets of Hogsmeade, oblivious to the attention they were getting from their schoolmates and other passersby. Or at least, the three males were; it was only Hermione who noticed the newfound (and unwanted) attention she was getting.

The stares, the giggles, the winks — those actions had shocked the former Gyffindor beyond comprehension. She had been getting them lately, mostly from her female classmates, and it had unnerved and bothered the brunette to the point of cowering behind Blaise or Teddy, wanting to hide from vicious "admirers."

"You'll get used to it," Blaise had told her one time after concealing herself behind his back. "Just ignore it."

Teddy, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the attention. "They're really nice," he commented once when he was accompanying Hermione to the library. "Just smile back and give a small wave with your hand. Their faces will be priceless afterwards."

Alas, their pieces of advice were useless. Hermione had been used to being stared at before. After all, being best friend of the The-Boy-Who-Lived, and being one-third of the so-called "Golden Trio" of the Gryffindor House ought to teach her a thing or two of being a local "celebrity." But this time, the stares were different. And Hermione was too disgusted to think of the right word to describe them.

"It's your first time in Hogsmeade, right?" Blaise suddenly said, bringing her back to the present.

Hermione looked at him, emotionless. "Yeah," she said and inwardly laughed. She had been in Hogsmeade _countless _times before. She was even willing to bet she had gone there _more often _than her fellow seventh years.

Blaise gave her an amused smirk before staring back straight ahead, the smirk still on his handsome face.

She reckoned something had changed with her Italian friend; she just couldn't pinpoint what it was. A few days after her conversation with Dumbledore, she had noticed the sudden small changes in Blaise's actions. There were times when she caught him staring at her, amusement written all over his face. And when she would frown at him, his smirk would only change into a charming smile before he would return to his endeavor.

This newfound attention from the Italian made things weirder for Hermione.

She had once asked him if something was wrong. His answer was so vague it left Hermione thinking about it for minutes before concluding it was not an answer at all, the sneaky Slytherin.

Her eyes snapped back to Teddy when he draped an arm around her shoulder.

"Well, I'll give you a tour around Hogsmeade then," he suggested happily, winking at the seemingly clueless "Hermes Austen".

She only nodded her head in agreement. Teddy had been nice to her after she apologized to him and _offered _him sweets.

His carefree nature still bemused the witch. The devil-may-care attitude extended to him neglecting his homeworks in lieu of his happiness, a fact she had shaken her head over, thinking he was wasting his intelligence.

Like what she had observed days before, Teddy had a huge potential to be a great wizard. If he chose to be, he'd be an excellent Auror after graduation.

"Ah, there's more to life than studying!" was his only answer when she pointed out that he had not yet finished his Potions essay that was due the next day.

Sighing, she softly chuckled at that memory. Teddy reminded her of Ron. Both were happy-go-lucky, fond of choosing pleasure over duty. The difference between the two was Ron seemed more mature than Teddy, and that was saying something.

_Come to think of it, _she thought, _Blaise also reminds me of Harry. _They had the same calming nature, and Hermione always found herself at ease whenever she was around them. Both were also good advisers when she needed help.

With these thoughts in mind, a smile gradually grew on her face. Even if she was in Slytherin, she was happy to know that people like Blaise and Teddy were good reminders of her Gryffindor best friends.

"Not now, Nott," was Draco Malfoy's sudden annoyed drawl. "I thought you said you needed to buy something in Knockturn Alley."

Hermione's smile vanished, replaced by a small frown, while Teddy's eyes widened in realization, remembering the things he was supposed to buy in the said alley.

"Oh yeah, right," he said, sheepishly scratching his head. "Thanks for reminding me, Draco." Then, he flashed his adorable smile towards the blond, who rolled his eyes in return.

How the two became best friends, Hermione would never know, nor understand. Malfoy was an annoying prat while Teddy was the complete opposite. But it seemed like Teddy really liked Draco as a friend and it was real obvious every time the two interacted.

Malfoy's lack of appreciation for Teddy's kindness to him slightly angered her. Then again, according to Teddy and Blaise, Draco Malfoy started to act… _differently _at the start of the school-year.

"_You know his circumstances, Nott." _

Those words Blaise had uttered a few days ago still rang loudly in Hermione's head. Was Malfoy really having a hard time acting as a Death Eater for Voldemort and a spy for Dumbledore? If she were in his position, there would be a big possibility she would have a hard time, too. Actually, she was certain it would be a _fact_ in her case.

She remembered the time when she first discovered that Malfoy was a spy. Harry was primarily indignant at Dumbledore, telling him it was a decoy. That maybe it was Voldemort's orders for the blonde to act as a _spy _for the Order when, in truth, he was _spying _for the Dark Side.

"He has a reason, Mister Potter," Dumbledore had said. "And it is a really good one."

She never pegged Draco Malfoy as someone who would risk his life just for the greater good. Sometimes, she did wonder what the real reason behind his sudden change of heart was.

"Uh," Teddy said, not giving Hermione time to elaborate further on that thought. "Can we stop by that store?"

Hermione followed the direction his finger was pointing to and found herself staring at Honeydukes. Beside her, Blaise released a soft chuckle while Malfoy emitted a sigh.

"What?" Teddy sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "My supply's almost gone. I need to buy new ones."

The brunette found herself laughing and Teddy, grateful, showed his trademark smile. "I'll treat you for giving me sweets before, Hermes," he offered.

Hermione shook her head, still laughing. "No, no," she said. "I'm not really fond of sweets, so let _me_ treat_ you_."

If possible, Teddy's smile grew. "Okay," he answered and started to happily walk towards Honeydukes, his roommates trailing behind.

"Seriously, Nott," Draco said, "I won't be surprised if one day all of your teeth fell."

Teddy scowled while Blaise chuckled once again. To her surprise, Hermione found herself amused at Malfoy's comment.

**

* * *

**

Hermione had never been to Knockturn Alley and ever since second year, she never planned to go there at all. According to Harry, it was an unpleasant place with weird creatures roaming around the streets. He had an unfortunate accident of stumbling into Knockturn Alley instead of Diagon Alley on the summer before their second year, and he commented that he'd rather not go there as much as he could help it.

Slightly paling upon nearing the entrance to Knockturn Alley, her steps gradually slowed down. Diagon Alley was _way _merrier than this, and she almost _— almost — _pleaded with the other three to continue on their own and leave her to amuse herself around Diagon Alley.

They seemed at ease (well, except for Teddy, who was slightly frowning). It made her think that they had probably been to this alley more than a few times already. Shivering, she did not want to imagine what they could be buying in this place.

Hermione gave Diagon Alley one last forlorn glance before the four of them was completely entrapped by the gloom of Knockturn Alley. It had surprised her when Dumbledore allowed seventh years to visit Diagon and Knockturn Alley during Hogsmeade Day ever since last year. From what she had heard, a lot of seventh years were complaining that the things they should be buying for their schoolworks were not available in Hogsmeade, so they ended up not doing their works at all.

"Why is it always so damn_ cold_ in this place?" was Teddy's furious question, clutching Blaise's arm. The Italian rolled his eyes and dislodged his arm from his friend's grip, taking a few steps away from the other Slytherin.

Hermione watched in mild amusement as Teddy was back beside Blaise, the former seizing the latter's arm again.

"Honestly," Blaise proclaimed. This time, he just allowed his roommate to cling to him.

Teddy pouted at him. "Can you come with me, huh? You know how I'm still uncomfortable roaming around Knockturn Alley."

He was about to refuse but after some incessant persuasions from the child-like Slytherin, he succumbed to his wishes.

Blaise shot a worried look at Hermione. This had left the brunette confused. He then looked at Draco, who seemed like he'd rather be alone than accompany the other three.

"Wait for us here," Blaise instructed Draco. The blond looked at him as if he'd eaten a dozen hippogriffs simultaneously. Draco's eyes then landed on Hermione, a scowl now visible on his face.

"With him?" he said, rudely pointing a finger at her.

"Hey!" she interjected, affronted.

Blaise only sighed and looked at Hermione. "Will you be all right?" he asked. Hermione only frowned. "Don't worry. We'll be back soon."

"I'll be quick, I swear," Teddy said, his right hand raised as if he was pledging.

Draco's scowl only darkened while Hermione released a soft sigh. "Oh, all right," she said. She shot a dirty look towards the blond's direction. "But do make it quick, okay?"

Teddy nodded his head enthusiastically and dragged Blaise towards a shop; she did not even want to know what it was selling.

An awkward silence settled between her and Malfoy as soon as jolly Teddy and Blaise were out of their sight. Hermione had been avoiding having much contact with Draco as much as she could ever since he had insulted her after she apologized. And now that they were alone together, she couldn't believe her luck.

"Stay right here, Austen," he drawled, a slight glare visible on his face. "I have to buy something for my Potions homework."

"Don't tell me what to do," she shot back, crossing her arms in defiance.

Draco only rolled his eyes and sighed. "I am serious, Austen. Stay just right here. You're not familiar in this place and trust me when I say that you should not interact with strangers." A disgusted look settled on his face. "But then again, you attract danger. I won't be surprised if we all returned back to Hogwarts with an injured you."

Hermione was about to retort something when Draco suddenly turned away from her and strode to Merlin-knows-where, leaving the brunette behind.

As soon as he was out of sight, she bristled in anger. _'The nerve of that guy,' _she thought, angrily running a hand through her hair. _'How… how dare he! I'll show him.'_

She defied his orders and soon roamed around Knockturn Alley, stubborn and curious at the same time.

Her anger simmered down after minutes of walking around the alley. She had seen a lot of weird stores. She even swore she saw a shop selling human body parts.

She made a face and slowed her pace, once in a while glancing over her shoulder to see if the others had returned. Her stomach dropped upon noticing that she did not know where she was in Knockturn Alley already.

She was lost.

'_I should have listened to Malfoy,' _she said, nose scrunched up in worry.

Hermione took a few turns around the alley and still, she was not able to find the place where Draco had left her. Dread started to settle down Hermione's heart. What was she to do?

"Oh, seriously," she told herself, fishing out her wand from the pocket of her trousers. She was a witch; she could use magic to bring her back to her previous destination.

But before she could even utter a single spell, five looming shadows fell upon the brunette and Hermione looked up in surprise, her brown orbs wide.

Five gorgeous ladies, she reckoned, were blocking her way. She secretly scrunched up her nose in disgust, noticing the skimpy outfits adorned on their rather shapely body. _'Honestly,' _she thought, _'if they want men to notice them, at least they should do it in a more __**modest **__way.'_

"Um," she started, clearing her throat. "Excuse me. I have to pass that way."

"Come with us," the woman in the middle, probably their leader, purred. Hermione's eyes shot up at the husky tone she used on her. And then, she frowned upon seeing the huge smiles on their faces, as if eager to do something she couldn't understand.

"I'm… sorry," she slowly said, looking from one lady to the other. They were gorgeous, truly gorgeous, and were probably in their mid-20s already. "But I have to get back to Hogwarts already. Excuse me, ladies."

The leader bristled, her eyes wide as she looked at her other companions. They, too, seemed surprised with Hermione's actions. She scowled, beyond disgusted. She guessed they were never turned down by a guy before.

'_Disgusting whores,' _she thought, sidestepping their group to slip away from them.

But before she could even take a step, the leader of the posse had grabbed her wrist and held on to it rather tightly. "Come with us," she repeated once again. "And we'll make you very, very happy."

Hermione's eyes widened, alarmed. "I'm really sorry," she said, tugging her wrist away from her firm grip. "I really, really need to go back now. My friends are probably waiting for me already."

She tugged and tugged again but the lady wouldn't budge. "Let me go," she said, now a bit panicky. "Let me go, please."

She remembered that she was still holding her wand. She pointed it on the hand of the woman to blast it away from her wrist. She was about to utter a soft 'Expelliarmus' when her wand was suddenly thrown away. Hermione's eyes widened as she looked at the direction of her wand. It was too dark for her to see and the lady's grip was now so firm she swore a bruise would soon form.

"Let me… ah!" She gasped as the lady twisted her hand behind her back.

"Come with us," she hissed. A horrified look settled on Hermione's face upon noticing that her voice had changed. "And we will make you very, very happy."

When the brunette turned her head around, she almost screamed in fright. The gorgeous ladies were gone, replaced by grotesque hags who were looking at her as if she was some mouthwatering dessert.

An alarm went off in Hermione's head, knowing that she was in danger. Just looking at the snarling faces of her sudden captors were enough to make her panicky.

She struggled once again but the leader's grip with her wrist tightened. She gasped in pain and to her surprise, the hag chanted unknown words to the brunette. A wave of dizziness washed over her and soon, she could already see black spots in front of her eyes.

'_I should have listened to Malfoy,' _she reprimanded herself again, her eyes slowly closing.

The next thing she knew, she was on the ground, face pressed on the cold and dirty pavement. _'Wait, what?' _she asked herself, forcing herself to sit up.

She dodged an unconscious hag and stood up quickly, regretting it immediately. She clutched her head in pain and grimaced.

Her eyes landed on her savior and her mouth almost dropped in astonishment.

Draco Malfoy.

He hexed another hag, which screeched and also fell, unconscious, on the ground. The blond had this furious look on his face Hermione was almost afraid to approach him. He was viciously lashing his wand to and fro and blasting the other two members of the group until the leader was left standing, astonishment visible on her gruesome face.

She tried to escape, even knocking off Malfoy. He toppled over and fell; his back painful making contact with the street. The hag found it the perfect time to leave the scene but Draco was faster than she was. He immediately sprang upright and hexed her. She released a deafening screech and raised her arms in surrender, sobbing noisily as she gathered her other 'friends' and disappeared from the Slytherins' sight.

As soon as they were gone, Hermione released a breath she didn't realize she was holding with a loud 'whoosh'.

She watched Malfoy as he swallowed deep breaths, his back facing her. And that was when she noticed blood oozing out from a large gash on his back.

He was hurt.

"Ma-Malfoy," she stammered, still reeling in shock. "You're…"

Her words were left hanging in the air as soon as Draco swiveled around so fast Hermione swore she almost heard his neck crick.

"ARE YOU INSANE?" he thundered, taking quick, big strides towards the brunette. "I PERFECTLY TOLD YOU TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE AND WAIT FOR ME!"

"There's no need to shout," she whispered, taken aback by his sudden outburst. "And… I-I'm sorry."

Draco took a few calming breaths, closing his eyes for the desired effect. And when he opened them, his mercurial eyes were a shade darker because of repressed fury. "I should have known you are this dangerous, Austen," he spat. His voice was filled with venom, making Hermione wish that he was shouting instead.

"I'm sorry," she repeated again, humbled. She realized her mistake and cursed her curiosity and stubbornness. "It's just that… I… _thank you_."

And she meant it with her whole-heart. She actually thought something bad would have had happened to her if he did not arrive just in time. She slightly paled upon knowing that she almost landed herself in another dangerous situation before saving her parents.

"You should be," he snarled, pocketing his wand. "You almost became a sex slave, Austen."

"A sex slave?" she squeaked, mortified.

"_Yes_," he answered with emphasis. "Anyone here should know that encountering suspicious gorgeous ladies disguised as hags is _dangerous_. Only idiots would still fall into their trap."

Hermione pursed her lips, not allowing herself to retort a witty comeback. After all, he still saved her and the least she could do was be humble in his presence.

"Thank Merlin I just came… I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY I SAVED A NUISANCE LIKE YOU!" he hollered. His glare was so dark the brunette was forced to look away from him. "I should have known. I knew that I should _hate _you the moment my eyes laid upon you. I'm repeating this again: _Stay away from me_. I do not want some _accident prone _gracing my presence."

And with that, he turned around and stomped away.

The brunette just watched him go, guilt forming at the pit of her stomach as she stared at his bloodstained shirt. He was slightly limping, she observed, and once in a while he would cuss out of pain.

Draco was soon gone, leaving her all alone. She crouched down on the floor and groped for her wand. Her nose would scrunch up in disgust once in a while; touching things she wouldn't even dare to look at.

Finally, she was able to retrieve her wand a few feet away from where she was standing a while ago. She gripped it with her wand hand and grimaced. Like what she had predicted, an ugly bruise was now marring her fair skin.

"Point me," she whispered and watched as her wand whirled around. Hermione waited as it stopped, its tip pointing northwest. She followed its direction until she found herself once again in front of the shop Malfoy had previously left her at.

Hermione breathed out a sigh of relief and retraced the steps they had taken a few minutes ago.

"Hermes!"

She swirled around and was greeted by a worried Blaise, Teddy in tow.

"Where have you been? We've been looking all over the place for you," the Italian said.

The brunette just sighed and scratched the back of her neck. "Well, I got lost," was her sheepish reply, giving the two a small smile.

"Merlin, you made us so worried," Teddy butted in, swinging an arm over Hermione's shoulder. "I actually thought you encountered those horrendous hags that disguise themselves as gorgeous ladies to lure you and make you into a sex slave."

Hermione paled at Teddy's comment and Blaise was the only one who noticed it. He frowned and his eyes landed on her bruised wrist. "What happened to you?" he asked.

The brunette followed Blaise's line of vision. "Oh, this," she said, hiding her bruised hand from view. "I… I tripped along the way and bruised my wrist. But it's fine. I'm all right."

"Hey," Teddy said, looking around wildly. "Where's Draco?"

She looked at the ground, ashamed. "I think he went back to Hogwarts already… probably couldn't stand the presence of an _accident prone_." The lasts words were spat by the brunette and she was so embarrassed she had to be saved by _Draco Malfoy_, of all people in the world.

"Oh, you're no accident prone," Teddy assured her as he led the gang out of Knockturn Alley and into Diagon Alley.

Hermione glared at her bruised wrist. "Right."

**

* * *

**

"Um… Blaise, I'm here," was Hermione's greeting to her Italian friend.

It came as a surprise for the brunette when he told her to meet him in the Great Lake after curfew. She asked him why they couldn't meet in the common room or in their room instead, but all he answered was a small smile and repeated his request of her to meet him in the Great Lake.

The said Slytherin looked up at Hermione and gave her his usual charming smile, gesturing her to sit on the ground beside him.

Confused, she slowly sat on the grass, Indian Style.

Comfortable silence settled between the two. The only noise that was heard were the crickets hiding in the trees and the constant splashing noise made by the Giant Squid.

Hermione enjoyed the silence, calming her exhausted body. It was good that Blaise was also beside her; his calming personality was enough to put her at ease.

"Hermes," Blaise said, disrupting the peace. Hermione looked at him, eyebrows raised in question. "Give me your hand."

"Why?" she asked, suspicious. She pocketed her right hand, the bruised one, away from his sight.

"Just give it to me," he replied, followed by a sigh. "Come on."

Hermione gave him her left hand. Blaise, on the other hand, rolled his eyes. "The other one," he commanded, shooting pointed looks at her hidden hand.

The brunette's frown deepened. "Why?"

"Oh honestly," he said, grabbing the requested hand. Blaise apparently had grabbed it none-too-gently for Hermione released a soft yelp in pain, flinching in the process. "I'm sorry. You were being stubborn," he pointed out, absentmindedly rubbing a comforting thumb on her bruise. "What actually happened?"

She blushed slightly, thankful for the dark. "You'd rather not hear about it," she said a bit too quickly.

To her surprise, Blaise released a soft chuckle. "Let me guess, you've encountered those grotesque hags in Knockturn Alley, yeah?"

"Eh," Hermione, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment. "There's no point in lying now."

Once again, Blaise chuckled.

Hermione's cheeks reddened. "It's not funny," she complained.

"Don't worry, men who aren't really familiar of Knockturn Alley often fall into their trap," he assured her, conjuring bandages.

"What are they… _exactly_?" Hermione asked.

"Well, to put it simply, they are hags disguised into gorgeous ladies to lure men and make them their sex slaves," he said, this time retrieving a soothing salve from his pocket. Hermione gave it a pointed look, which Blaise noticed. "Trust me, when you are with Draco and Teddy, oh _especially _Teddy, you need to have a soothing salve everywhere you go."

Hermione, despite her embarrassment, chuckled.

"Anyway, as I was saying, those hags use hypnotism to find victims and entice them. Men _often _fall into their charm." He allowed himself to show a small smirk on his face, shooting an amused glance at the brunette. "And I must say that if you were able to fight their hypnotism, you either have a very powerful magic or you are only a man incognito.

Hermione, unable to control it, released a loud gasp. She saw the surprised look on Blaise's face and quickly answered, "Well then, I must really have a very powerful magic, huh? Ha ha."

Blaise chuckled at her obvious discomfort. It was fun for him knowing his roommate's secret and teasing him just to see her bristle in embarrassment or nervousness. "Yeah, I guess," he answered.

He then opened the soothing cream, swabbed his index and middle finger, and then gently rubbed it on the brunette's bruise.

The brunette, on the other hand, was surprised at Blaise's actions. "Uh… thanks," she said, smiling at the Italian.

Blaise only shrugged his shoulders. "You know what, I feel like I should look after you," he truthfully said, this time now wrapping the bandage around her wrist. "Are you always like this? Don't be offended but you sure look like you're getting into a lot of trouble lately."

"Yeah," Hermione agreed with a sigh. "But, I'm not usually like this, you know. I'm never klutzy back in Durmstrang. I guess I just… _changed_."

"Hmm," was his thoughtful reply, clipping her bandage in reply. He gave it a small pat before looking at Hermione squarely on her eyes. "I'm here, okay?" he said. "And if you need some help, don't hesitate to approach me. Just… treat me like I'm your older brother or something."

The brunette beamed, thankful for Blaise Zabini. "Thanks," she voiced out. "You have no idea how much help I needed right now."

'_Oh, I do. I really do, Hermione Granger,' _he thought, smiling. "No problem," he said, now standing up. He brushed some dirt off his rear end. "It's late. I think we should be getting back now."

Hermione nodded and hastily stood up. "Okay," was her reply. And together, they walked back to Hogwarts.

**

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**A/N: End! Aww, I'm loving Blaise's character more and more! Do review and tell me about your opinions of this chapter. **

**I'm sorry I didn't put review responses on this chapter. Like what I've said earlier, I found an awesome **_**manga**_** and I'm not yet done reading it so I'm kinda rushing. No worries, though, it'll soon return. Just have patience. **

**Hahaha, OH, some people voiced out their interest in my new 'project'. I'm still not done with the outline and all but fine, I'll all tell you the pairing – it's Hermione/Edmund! Yeah, well, in my opinion, I find them adorable so any objections? Reactions? Disgusted retorts, perhaps? **

**So, that's it. *Bows* I do thank all of your patience. Don't worry, I'll soon be as free as a bird! **

**Ciao for now!**

**With love,  
****2booklover4**


	8. Of Tulips and Quidditich

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's.**

**A/N: *bows* I am ****sincerely ****sorry for the lateness of this chapter. Our internet connection was put on restriction by the telephone company because we did not pain on time last Wednesday. My dad paid on the same day, I swear, but stupid telephone company. We were only able to have our internet TODAY. UGH! I'm so frustrated. But, anyway, I'm here now. So yeah. **

**Anyway, since it's Christmas a few days from now, I won't be able to post the next chapter next Thursday. My cousins will be here and I won't have time to at least use the computer. AND SO, as an early Christmas present, I'll be posting Chapter 9 today, too! Yay, aren't you all lucky?**

**So, enough of my rambling and here it is. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Eight: Of Tulips and Quidditch**

Her eyes darted from left to right, making sure that no one had followed her. After making sure that she was all alone in the Forbidden Forest, she continued her small journey.

'_It's been awhile,' _she thought, ducking to avoid a low-hanging branch.

For some strange reason, Hermione felt excited today, visiting her grave that she hadn't visited ever since the start of the school-year. She was only able to visit it twice, but after that, she was too busy to go.

She had some difficulty explaining to Teddy and Blaise where she was going. Teddy kept on incessantly begging her for him to come with her, promising her that he would share half of his supply of sweets if she agreed. The brunette only shook her head at his immature compromise and told him sternly that she had to go _alone_.

Blaise was another story. He also kept on telling Hermione for him to accompany her. She understood his kindness… _goodness_, that was the only attitude Blaise kept on showing to her these past few weeks. Ever since the incident in Knockturn Alley, Blaise seemed to be _really _looking over her like a big brother. His sudden concern was astounding for the brunette, but she appreciated it nonetheless. And like what she told Teddy, she explained to Blaise that she had to go _alone_. Thankfully, he was able to understand it soon.

Teddy was upset at first, but was immediately distracted when Malfoy told him that they needed to discuss something about Quidditch. Being a typical Quidditch fan and athlete, Teddy had forgotten that Hermione had to go somewhere alone and had gone to Draco to discuss whatever they should discuss.

'_Speaking of Malfoy,' _she said, releasing a soft sigh. Hermione felt like she was in debt… she felt like she _owed _her life to Draco. If he weren't there in Knockturn Alley… if he didn't arrive just in time, maybe she was probably in some dark and dingy room molested by those hags.

She involuntarily shivered whilst hopping over a protruding root on the ground.

Hermione was almost nearing her grave and instantly, she smiled.

Her first few weeks in Hogwarts had already been eventful. She had bothered a lot of people already, especially Malfoy (_'Oh especially him.'_) and visiting her fake grave was like a breath of fresh air. Because there, she would be able to reminisce the good, old times.

She would be able to reminisce the time when she was still Hermione Granger.

Finally, she had arrived. Her tombstone seemed out-of-place in the forest. While everywhere was full of life and happiness, her grave looked gloomy and lifeless.

Hermione sighed once again and chose to sit on the natural green carpet, cross-legged. "Hey," she whispered, brushing her fingertips across her old identity. "I've missed you."

She smiled wistfully, finding slight humor in her current situation. Here she was, disguised as Hermes Austen, a _guy_, for goodness' sake, while she talked to a grave containing a pillow charmed to look exactly like her. She could not believe she landed herself into this… _outlandish _situation.

Hermione had expected she would undergo challenges that normal teenagers could not handle. She chose herself to be the best friend of the one and only Harry Potter. Of course, it was her fault why she had to grow up faster than her other classmates. Being the best friend of a boy part of a huge prophecy was no joke. And so, she knew that if she was being carefree and such, she could have been dead right now.

But she never predicted that she would one day fake her own death and pretend to be some guy who did not actually exist. Merlin, she never predicted that one day, Voldemort and some of his followers would barge into her home, kidnap her parents, and burn down the whole house.

She hated times when she did not foresee events. Even if she was not a seer, she had brains, and she was able to use them to at least calculate the ending of a specific adventure she had with Harry and Ron.

This situation she was forced to undergo was one of those times. Hermione had no idea where her deceit would lead to. There were a lot of possibilities and it was still _too early _for her to guess what the possible ending would be.

Sometimes, she wished her life would have just been like a Potions essay or a Transfiguration essay. She immediately knew the answers. And if she was confused, she could just consult a book and viola! She had the answers.

But then again, life was truly a fickle thing. There were times when she found herself so challenged to the point of giving up. During the battle of the DA Core in the Department of Mysteries, Hermione almost gave up and welcomed the Killing Curse with open arms. But one glance from Harry, fighting and resolute, she would reprimand herself for thinking such silly things. She then would deflect the _Avada Kedavra _and continue to fight.

There were also times when she thought that she was the happiest girl in the whole world. Being coined as the most intelligent witch of her year was enough to make her feel so proud of herself. Being surrounded by friends who loved her wholeheartedly was enough to put a big smile on her face.

Being loved by parents unconditionally was enough for her to wake up in the morning and battle life itself.

'_Things are now changed,' _she forlornly thought, sighing in exhaustion. She gazed up at the blue sky and envied its peaceful condition. But then, she remembered that there were times when it would turn gray and mourn, sharing its sadness to everyone by shedding its tears. It was a comfort for the brunette.

"I wish everything will be back to normal soon," she thought. And by that, she meant that her parents would be safe once again… that she would be Hermione Granger once again, not some deceitful boy, and that she would be surrounded by her friends, who would be loyal to her through and through.

Her musings were cut short as soon as she heard the school bell, signaling the resume of classes after lunch.

Hermione released a wistful sigh, wishing that she could have stayed here longer. Being a seventh year student made her truly busy; therefore, she was not able to find a perfect time to visit her own fake grave. But then, she remembered that this week would be a light one for the seventh years. The teachers thought of cutting their school work so they could focus on studying first.

This memory brought a smile on her face. _'Maybe I can bring my books here and read,' _she thought, now slowly standing up. She brushed off dirt from her bottom and was about to stride back to Hogwarts, when she caught an object lying on top of her tombstone.

Frowning, she walked closer and bent down only to see a flower.

A _tulip_.

She looked from left to right before gently clutching the flower with her right hand.

'_Weird, I'd never seen a tulip here before,' _she thought, absentmindedly rubbing her thumb against its stem. _'Or maybe I was not being too observant.' _She frowned, trying to rack her brain if she had seen any tulip placed on the top of her grave the last two days she had visited. But still, she was not able to remember anything.

She cursed herself for not being too observant before. It was surprising to know that someone had at least visited her grave and gave her a flower… a tulip, which was her most favorite flower in the whole world.

"Hmm, I wonder," she thought, now observing the flower. She was surprised to see that it was not charmed everlasting. It was just an ordinary one.

She then decided to charm it everlasting before pocketing it. _'Maybe it's from one of my friends,' _she thought, making a mental note to ask Harry if he was the one who placed tulips on top of her grave or if not, he knew anyone who would be doing such a sweet thing.

"Oh well," she mused aloud, now walking back to Hogwarts. "Then I just have to visit the next few days, I guess."

**

* * *

**

Hermione was now walking towards the Room of Requirement, another tulip clutched tightly in her hand. It had been three days after she first saw a tulip on top of her grave. The next day after she had visited her grave, she was surprised to see that the same flower was present. She visited her tomb for the next two days and as expected, two more tulips were found.

It was a mystery for the brunette. She concluded that she had a faithful visitor and for his or her souvenir, he or she would leave a tulip on her grave.

She thought it was now time to find some answers, therefore, she asked Harry to meet her in the Room of Requirement once again. She had a great feeling he would probably know who her 'faithful visitor' was.

"You're late," Harry pointed out as soon as Hermione appeared in the room, a dazed expression on her face. His eyes landed on her tulip. With eyebrows raised, he asked, "You have a new secret admirer?"

That snapped Hermione off her trance and scowled, a blush threatening to creep up into her cheeks. "Of course not," she interjected. "Just… a faithful visitor who always leaves a tulip on top of my fake grave. That's all."

"A faithful visitor?" the Gryffindor asked, amused. "You have a faithful visitor?"

"Hmm… yeah, apparently," she said, plopping down beside Harry on the couch. The Boy-Who-Lived immediately wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist and kissed the top of her head. "Anyway, I actually thought it was you who kept on putting tulips on top of my grave. You know that it's my favorite flower."

Harry shrugged, confused. "Eh, I don't," he said, "well, consciously, I mean. Maybe I suddenly became a sleepwalker and as a habit, I walk into the woods towards your grave to place tulips on top of your grave."

"Oh honestly," she said, rolling her eyes at his boyish grin. "Do you suspect anyone as my faithful visitor? Are there any Gryffindors who are acting suspicious or something?"

He knitted his eyebrows, deeply thinking. "Well… not really," he said. "Ron still tends to be dazed and stare off into nothing. Ginny's still touchy sometimes. The others… I don't know. Sorry."

Hermione absentmindedly scratched her chin, confused.

Harry frowned. "What's with that 'I'm-confused' look on your face?" he asked, concerned. "Is it bothering you?"

The brunette just sighed and thoughtfully looked at the beautiful tulip on her hand. "Whatever," she said. "I have to discuss a more important thing than this 'faithful' visitor of mine." Hermione shifted on her seat so that her body was now facing Harry. "I… I talked to Dumbledore a few days ago."

That had caught his attention; his eyes widened and he looked highly curious. "What did he say?" he asked, unable to suppress his enthusiasm. "Is it… a good one?"

Harry's heart sank when Hermione shook her head, eyes downcast. "He said… Voldemort already found a spell to break the enchantment on my parents. _Totus specialis ostendo sum_."

The Gryffindor, unfamiliar with the spell, only looked at her questioningly.

"It's… pretty complicated, I think. The spell," she continued. "The long incantation is in Latin and the wand movements are more advanced than what we are currently learning. But Voldemort was able to do it. I can't say I'm surprised." She paused to sigh, closing her eyes in exhaustion. "I have ten months, Harry. _Ten months _to save my parents. According to Dumbledore, the full effect of the spell will happen for approximately ten months. If I failed, the side effect of the ancient enchantment will happen… _They'll die_."

Silence settled after Hermione's dreadful news. Harry worriedly glanced at the brunette, who chose to avoid his searching eyes.

This time, Harry was the one who sighed. He gripped Hermione's chin and gently forced her to look at him. The Slytherin allowed him, her brown orbs connecting with Harry's emerald ones.

"Are you okay?" he asked, noticing the unshed tears coating her eyes.

To his surprise, Hermione manage to crack a smile, albeit a sad one. "Oh, I'll be fine," she said. "You know me."

Harry only frowned, looking as if he wanted to say something in return. In the end, he only shook his head and drew his disguised best friend to him. He dropped a gentle kiss on top of her head and whispered, "I'm here, okay? And you know that I love you."

Hermione softly chuckled, closing her eyes. "I thought it's awkward for you to say it or hear it from me when I'm disguised like a man," she playfully said.

The Gryffindor chuckled and fondly ruffled her hair. "Oh, yeah. Hmm, whatever. I said it already," he said nonchalantly, giving her a boyish grin. "I don't mean to offend you but do you still have to tell me something?"

The brunette's eyes narrowed, suspicious. "Why?"

Harry sheepishly rubbed his scar, a habit he developed when he was embarrassed. "Umm… I'm not yet done with my Potions essay. So can… OW! _What did you do that for?_"

Hermione shook her head, disappointed. "Now that I'm living in the Slytherin common room, you have the nerve to slack off? Shame on you, Harry Potter! Shame on you!"

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" the Gryffindor said, laughing boisterously. "For a moment there you perfectly imitated Mrs. Weasley! Congratulations, Hermione! Oh, now look at the time. It's almost curfew. I have to leave now. Goodbye, 'Mione."

He sprinted towards the door, wanting to leave his enraged best friend as soon as possible.

Hermione, unable to control herself, laughed and weakly threw a throw pillow to his direction. "We're not yet done talking, Potter!" She heard him chuckle loudly before completely leaving the room.

She shook her head and soon, she also left the Room of Requirement.

**

* * *

**

"Hermes Austen! Just the person I wanted to see!"

Hermione almost had a heart attack when Teddy suddenly launched himself into her as soon as she arrived into the Slytherin common room.

She took a peak above Teddy's back, only to see some students cramming their homework. "Um… where's Blaise and Malfoy?" she asked, subtly pushing the eager boy away from her.

"Eh, Blaise needed to see Professor Snape," he enthusiastically answered, taking a few steps away from the brunette. "And Draco had some work to do in the library. So, I'm left here."

"Hmm," she said, nodding her head. "So, what's with the sudden enthusiastic greeting you gave me?"

Teddy sheepishly grinned. "Sorry about that but I really wanted to talk to you," he said. "You know Quidditch, right? Of course you know Quidditch! You just came from the same school where the great Viktor Krum once studied." He vigorously shook his head, realizing his babble.

Hermione's heart sank upon hearing the word 'Quidditch'. She was seriously allergic to that word, especially because of the fact that she had a fear of flying. Her fear had slightly diminished as she grew up, having to ride the airplane countless times during vacations. But flying on a _broomstick_ was still a different story.

"What about Quidditch?" she asked slowly, eyes trained intently on the boy in front of her.

"Sign-up for the try-outs, please!" he pleaded. "We only need two Chasers and I think you'd like it. I mean, who doesn't like Quidditch? You'll have fun!"

The brunette blanched. "Uh… I'll think about it." Inside her mind, she planned to lie to Teddy that a lot of Slytherins already signed-up for the position and there were no spaces anymore to write her name. _'That would be a nice lie,' _she thought.

"GREAT!" was Teddy's gleeful shout as he patted Hermione's shoulder. "I wrote your name on the sign-up sheet already. Blaise said I had to inform you first before writing your name but, whatever. So the try-outs will happen this coming Saturday, okay? Don't be late. Our Captain _hates _people who aren't punctual. Trust me."

Teddy flashed his usual adorable grin. "It will be awesome if we become teammates, Hermes. I'm looking forward to it! So, good luck. Anyway, I got to go now. I still have to finish my Potions homework."

He ran up the stairs towards the boys' room. Before he was completely away from Hermione's sight, he once again turned around and shouted, "Don't be late!" He waved his hand excitedly before entering their room.

Poor Hermione, left frozen on the spot, mouth agape.

"WHAT?"

**

* * *

**

**A/N: That's it for now! Do review, please! Oh, I'll be posting chapter 9 now. **

**With love,**

**2booklover4 :D**


	9. Adrenaline Rush

**Disclaimer: "Dear Santa, please let me be JK Rowling for at least for a day. Love, 2booklover4. P.S. I also want Draco Malfoy for Christmas. Make him mine." - BUT SERIOUSLY, not mine, not yours. Only JK Rowling's. **

**A/N: Merry Christmas everybody! Well, it's not Christmas yet but whatever :D. ****Here's my Christmas gift to all of you, Chapter 9! Please do enjoy :D**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Nine: Adrenaline Rush**

"What am I going to do?" she whispered, horror visible on her face. A soft groan escaped from her lips as she slumped on the comfortable couch, hiding her face underneath a random throw pillow.

Her best friend looked at her pitiful form, his merry laughter never ceasing. He couldn't help it. The situation she had landed herself was too _comical _for him to just be a good best friend and pat her on the back, saying that everything would be all right.

Hermione gave him a one-eyed glare, her other eye still hidden behind the pillow. "Shut up," she growled. "Harry Potter, I called you here because I _expected _you to comfort me like what a good best friend should do."

"Ha ha. I'm sorry… too funny… can't stop laughing," he said in between gasps. His chuckle only worsened when the brunette weakly threw the pillow into his direction. It had landed a few meters in front of Harry, not even hitting Hermione's supposed target.

"You call that a throw?" Harry exclaimed, resuming his 'Quidditch Captain' voice. "Hermione, if I am the Slytherin Quidditch Captain, I am _so _gonna deny you the position."

"Not helping!" she said in a sarcastic, sing-song voice. Hermione forced herself to sit upright on the couch. She then brought her knees into her chest, resting her chin on top. A miserable look settled on her face as she shot a _look _at Harry. "Tell me when you are going to stop laughing, Harry. I think I'll just go back to the common room now and wallow in self-pity."

"Oh, the drama!" he exclaimed, plopping down beside Hermione. He leaned his head on her shoulder, which she rudely pushed away. "How immature!" he cried, pointing an accusatory finger on her. "Maybe Nott's childishness had rubbed off into you."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "This isn't a laughing matter," she retorted, glaring. "You know how _terrified _I am of flying."

"You've ridden an airplane countless times before," he pointed out.

"But that's different!" she said. "There's some educated pilot who knows how to drive the _damn _thing!"

"Uh-oh," Harry said, mock horror on his face. He knew that a cursing Hermione was a very, very angry one. "Calm down. Nobody had ever died while riding a broomstick, you know."

He actually thought it was the right thing to say. Alas, her nervousness only fueled. "Don't tell such lies, Harry," she said. "I've made researches about Quidditch before and according to them, about ten percent of Quidditch players, professional and non-professional, died because of Quidditch-related accidents. That's a lot already!"

Harry rolled his eyes, his face now turning serious. "Then don't go," he pointed out. "No one's forcing you…"

"Except Teddy," she said, making a sour face. "He expects me to go, Harry. He just… _assumed _that I can fly a bloody broomstick just because I went to the same school as Viktor Krum." Hermione groaned once again and hid her face with her hands. "What am I going to _do_?"

"Ditch it. No big deal," he said, frowning. "It's as simple as that. You don't have to be such a worrier over this matter."

"It is a _big deal_," she interjected, removing her hands from her face to stare at Harry pointedly. "You have _no _idea how Theodore Nott gets angry. He's childish, remember? He gets angry over petty things. And I…" She paused and scratched the back of her neck absentmindedly. She was trying to think of the right word to say. "I… don't want to _upset _him. You get me?"

Harry looked astonished. "That's how close you are with Nott… and Zabini already?" he asked in disbelief.

Hermione managed to crack a sheepish smile. "They… kinda remind me of both you and Ron. Blaise had been a good adviser, Harry. Just like you. And you do know how much I don't want to disappoint both you and Ron, right?"

The Gryffindor looked fairly surprised. He gently placed an arm over the brunette's shoulder and pulled her closer to himself. Hermione allowed her head to drop on his shoulders.

She slightly smiled. This stance was always the start of 'wise Harry'. And so, she closed her eyes, anticipating for Harry's sensible words.

"Well," he started, seemingly unsure of what to say. Hermione's eyes popped open in surprise. "I… don't really know what to advise to you, Hermione. All I can say is that… the final decision will be always yours and no one is going to blame you if you chose either."

Harry grew silent for a few seconds before chuckling whilst running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. That wasn't really helpful."

Hermione slowly lifted her head once again and looked at Harry. "You're right," she said.

"That what I said wasn't helpful at all?" he asked, humored.

The brunette laughed and shook her head. "No, no – the final decision will always be mine." She grew silent, thoughtful. "I think I'm going to hate myself for this but… do you think it's time for me to face my fear?"

Harry looked genuinely surprised. "Are you sure?" he asked, disbelieving.

Hermione, despite her sudden paleness, nodded in conviction. "Yes, I am sure. Absolutely sure," she answered, balling her hands into fists.

The Gryffindor chuckled, amused. Who knew some childish Slytherin would be able to coax Hermione into flying. He and Ron had tried for years but all they received was a stubborn 'no' from their best friend.

Someday, when everything was all right already, Harry thought that maybe he owed Theodore Nott a simple 'thank you'. "If you say so, Hermione," he said. "If you say so."

**

* * *

**

The weather was fairly well today. It had helped calm Hermione's frayed nerves to know that it was not too _windy _at all, therefore, she would be able to fly her borrowed school broomstick without being bothered by the wind.

She was now on the Quidditch Pitch, waiting for the start of the Quidditch try-outs. She kept on fidgeting with her borrowed school Slytherin Quidditch robes (she would have a new one if she officially became a member of her House's Quidditch team).

Her eyes nervously surveyed around the pitch and noticed that there were a few Slytherins who wanted to try-out. Teddy was nowhere to be found yet and she scowled. _'So much for being early,' _she thought, plopping down on the Quidditch stands.

She could not believe that she was actually here, wanting to try-out to be one of the Slytherin Chasers. Years and years of Harry and Ron's persuasion for her to at least ride a broomstick with them always fell on the deaf ears. Hermione was _always _defiant, refusing to at least hover a feet off the ground whilst riding the magical broomstick.

But she was here and Teddy was partly to blame. And she slightly hated him for that.

Hermione actually practiced a few times with Harry, who was patient enough to help her. He truly deserved to be the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain because he never screamed or insulted her when she was being a wuss and freaking out every time her broom stick hovered.

A few days of practicing had paid off (or so she just wanted to convince herself). She was able to fly off the ground for an hour, as high as the highest hoop in the Quidditch Pitch. She was so happy she was able to manage without screaming in fear but when she looked down below to scream a loud 'I did it!' to Harry, she instantly regretted it.

Her terror had hit her like a Bludger, full force. And if Harry was not there to slow down her fall, she might be dead right now.

'_Maybe my fake grave would be useful soon,' _she sarcastically thought inside, leaning her forehead against the handle of the broom. _'I'm going to __**die**__.'_

"Hermes! Hermes!"

She looked up and was able to see eager Teddy, his right hand waving wildly in the air. He was already geared up, wearing his brand new Quidditch uniform with a very expensive broomstick clutched tightly in his right hand. He was looking handsome, she observed. The Quidditch uniform suited his energetic form.

Teddy had finally reached her side, inviting himself to sit beside her. "I'm so glad you came," he gushed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

Hermione's slight anger for him diminished. He was _genuinely _happy she came; just look at his face. And she thought that seeing him happy had slightly eased her frayed nerves.

"This is going to be awesome!" the Slytherin continued. "I'm in the Quidditch team. Blaise is in the Qudditch team. Draco is in the Quiddtich team. And if you passed, you'll be in the Quidditch team! Now, we can discuss Quidditch tactics in our room anytime we want."

"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. _What_?" she cried, eyes wide in terror. "What did you say?"

Teddy's smile slightly faltered. "Um… that we can discuss Quidditch tactics in our room anytime we want?"

Hermione shook her head vigorously, her short hair bouncing wildly on top of her hair. "No, no, something you said about Blaise and Malfoy," she corrected.

"Oh," he said, realization dawning. He ruffled his hair and gave her a goofy smile. "Blaise and Draco are in the Quidditch team. You seriously don't now?" Upon seeing her blank stare, he laughed. "Blaise is one of the Chasers! But he's not here right now. He's supposed to serve detention with Professor McGonagall. And Draco… he's the Quidditch Captain."

The brunette blanched.

Teddy frowned, alarmed. "Hey, you all right?" he asked. "You look a little… pale… Hermes?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she asked, voice barely audible. "I just started to feel nervous, you know."

"Oh, you'll be fine!" he encouraged. "I'm sure you will." He offered his fisted hand. "Good luck."

Hermione's eyes landed on his hand and reluctantly gave him a fist bump. "Thanks," she said.

Teddy's eyes roamed around. "Oh, here's our Captain! We better make haste! I told you he doesn't tolerate lateness. Come on."

He enthusiastically stood up while Hermione slowly took her time. Teddy practically flew towards the gathered group with Malfoy in the middle, eyes trained intently on his magical watch.

Hermione arrived into the group a few minutes after Teddy and mere minutes before the official starting of the try-outs.

Draco had said some instructions and Hermione never heard any of it. Instead, her mind was set on her _impending doom_. Now that she knew that Malfoy was the Quidditch Captain, there was no chance that she would be able to pass the try-outs and become an official Chaser for the Slytherin Quidditch team.

'_Malfoy doesn't want some accident prones in his team,' _she sourly thought, making a face.

Hermione was surprised when the group started to disperse, the try-outs already starting. Teddy came bustling to her sight, giving her a cheerful 'Good luck!' before flying off to his position: in front of the fifty-foot high goal posts.

Teddy's thoughtful encouragement had apparently attracted Malfoy's attention and as soon as Teddy was gone, he was staring at her in mild amusement and unmistakable disdain.

"Trying-out, Austen?" he asked, a sneer clearly visible on his face.

Hermione buried her nervousness inside and instead lifted up her chin proudly. "Yes," was her curt reply.

Draco scoffed. "Hmm… I'd like to see you try," he said. "But please do keep this in mind: I do not want some _accident prones _in my team."

With that, he turned away from her and started to call out names.

The brunette fumed behind his back and stubbornly screamed inside her mind, _'I'll do my bloody best, Malfoy! Just wait and see.'_

**

* * *

**

The try-outs were half-way done. Students who wished to try-out for the position of a Beater were already done. A sixth year Slytherin by the name of Ivan Raft succeeded against the other Slytherins.

And now, the audition for the position of Chasers had started. So far, nobody had been able to shoot five out of five Quaffles through any of the three hoops. The highest number of goals that was ever made by the students who were trying-out was three out of five.

Teddy was doing exceptionally well. He had the talent and when it came to Quidditch, all of his immaturity was placed aside. Hermione did wonder what Quidditch meant to all of her friends that they had to be so professional and focused when they were on the playing field.

She actually wished that since she was his friend, Teddy would not be too hard on her. Hermione immediately realized what she wishfully thought and reprimanded herself. Doing that would have been considered as cheating and she never tolerated cheating in any form.

'_What should I do?' _she asked herself, placing her chin on top of her hands, eyes still intently trained on the Quidditch Pitch.

"Austen!"

'_They are all so good…' _she wistfully thought, absentmindedly rubbing the handle of her broomstick with her thumb.

"Hermes Austen!"

'_What if I wasn't able to shoot any goals at all?' _Her eyes widened upon this thought. _'Oh Merlin, what if I __**wasn't **__able to shoot any goals at all?'_

"For Merlin's sake, Austen, drag your lazy butt over here!"

Hermione snapped out of her stupor, cheeks reddening upon seeing an irritated Draco Malfoy and some laughing Slytherins. "Damn," she muttered under her breath as she stood up and dragged herself in front of Draco.

He was shooting daggers at the brunette, which she chose to pointedly ignore. _'So much for not paying too much attention,' _she thought, frowning at the Captain. "Well?" she asked.

"Well what?" he roared, narrowing his mercurial eyes. "You are supposed to be flying with your broomstick now, Austen. Didn't you listen to my instructions a while ago?"

Hermione's cheeks reddened once more and chose to be silent.

Draco released a frustrated grunt whilst running a hand through his hair. "I need people who are good listeners in my team," he said.

The brunette glared, her complexion pale. She hated herself for blurting out the next thing that came into her mind – "Can I try-out last?"

The blond looked fairly surprised, before sneering. "Scared, Austen?" he asked.

Hermione, unable to help it, blushed. She tried to rack her brain for any good retort she could say to his sudden question but failed miserably. Her fear of flying was clouding her logical reasoning.

"Aw, come on, Draco," Teddy suddenly said, coming into her rescue.

Hermione gave him an appreciating glance, which he returned back with a playful wink of his own.

"He's new in Hogwarts," the carefree Slytherin continued. "Maybe he's not used to our Quidditch system here. I heard that Durmstrang have _international _training and our mate here wants to observe first before trying-out. Right, Hermes?"

"Right!" she cried a bit enthusiastically.

Draco only sneered and turned away from her. She distinctively heard him mutter words like 'royal treatment' and 'nuisance' under his breath. He then called the next student, completely ignoring Hermione. "Nott, go back to your position."

"Aye, aye, Captain!" he exclaimed, complete with a hand salute.

"Thanks, Teddy," Hermione whispered as Teddy was readying to fly back into the air.

"No problem, Hermes mate," he whispered back, grinning widely. "I figured out you're kinda… _nervous _and maybe stalling your turn will put your nerves at bay."

She only chuckled and told him to go back to guarding his goal posts, which he followed without hesitation.

**

* * *

**

That was it… her turn. She was the last one to try-out.

Hermione forced her lead-like legs to bring her to the Quidditch Pitch. "No backing out," she told herself firmly, clutching her broomstick tightly.

And so, she just sighed, mounted her broom, and shot up into the air.

As soon as she was airborne, her fear resurfaced. "Don't look down. Don't look down," she told herself again and again like a mantra, eyes firmly trained on Teddy, who was guarding the goal posts.

'_This is it,' _she thought. Teddy threw the ball towards her and to her horror, she was not able to catch it. She leaned down slightly to catch it once more, knowing that Malfoy was probably bristling in annoyance with her already.

"I have to do this," she said aloud. "No backing out!"

Hermione stared at the Quaffle, determination etched on her face. She had to perform well, if not _better _than the rest, so that Draco would not have another reason to mock her.

Fueled with unadulterated fear and the fact that she did not want to make a fool out of herself in front of Draco Malfoy, she threw the Quaffle with all her might towards the middle goal (since Teddy was guarding the right post).

It hurtled until…

… it passed through the goal.

Teddy seemed dumbstruck. Hermione, on the other hand, could not contain her enthusiasm.

"NOTT! DON'T BE SO… **KIND **JUST BECAUSE HE'S YOUR ROOMMATE!" Draco hollered from below.

Teddy grew sheepish, waving an apologetic arm in the air. "I was caught off guard!" he screamed back. "I actually thought it won't pass through!" He winked at the annoyed Draco before averting his eyes to Hermione. "That was an awesome start, Hermes! Keep up the good work!"

And good work she did. Hermione was able to shoot two more Quaffles and missed one.

The brunette couldn't believe her luck. She actually thanked her newfound fortune to adrenaline rush. After all, adrenaline rush could really be handy every time you are in a tight situation.

Hermione only had one Quaffle to shoot. It could make or break her situation – if she was able to shoot a Quaffle, she'd be officially part of the Slytherin Quidditch team; if she wasn't able to shoot, then all those who were able to shoot three out of five Quaffles would have to have a tie-breaker. And for Hermione, she thought that trying to shoot five Quaffles for a day was enough.

She looked at the Quaffle tightly clutched on her right hand. _'This is for you, Mom, Dad,' _she thought, zooming around the Pitch, eyes intently trained on Teddy.

She motioned to throw the Quaffle on the third hoop, feigning. Fortunately, Teddy was able to fall into her trap and zoomed in front of the third hoop, guarding it possessively. Harry had taught her some feigning tactics in Quidditch and she thought it would be useful.

'_Perfect,' _she mused, before throwing the Quaffle to the first hoop with all her might. Once again, Teddy was caught off-guard and he just watched as the Quaffle passed through the hoop, goaling.

Silence was heard around the Quidditch Pitch. After all, only Malfoy, Hermione, and Teddy were present.

Teddy snapped out of his surprise, zoomed towards Hermione, and gave her a huge smile. "That was an awesome try-out, Hermes!" he cried. "I didn't know you had the Quidditch ability in you. I actually thought that you would back-out today." He shrugged, leaning his broomstick downwards, and was soon back on the ground. Hermione followed suit. "Not that I mind if you backed out. It would be all right… though, a bit disappointing."

Hermione stared at him, disbelief etched in every corner of her face. "You wouldn't get angry if I… backed-out?" she asked, breathless.

The carefree Slytherin laughed while playfully ruffling her hair. "Angry? Why would I get angry?" he asked, amused. "It's your decision, after all."

"Ha ha," she laughed, mentally beating herself into pulp. "Yeah."

Teddy looked over Hermione's head and smirked. "Draco sure looked pissed," he mused aloud, watching as the blond walked back to school.

Hermione followed his line of vision and couldn't help but flash a smirk of her own. Teddy was right; Malfoy looked annoyed. A huge scowl was seen on his face and he was stomping back to Hogwarts.

"I guess this means you'll be part our team soon!" he exclaimed happily, drawing back Hermione's attention.

The brunette, embarrassed, scratched her hair. "Eh, the results will be announced tomorrow, Teddy," she shot back.

Teddy rolled his eyes. "You managed to shoot four out of five goals, Hermes," he reminded. "And remember that the highest goal a Slytherin made before you was three. That just means that you goaled _more_."

"Sheer luck," she muttered and meant it. _'And determination,' _she added inside, knowing how she was suddenly determined to not make a fool out of herself in front of Malfoy.

"Anyway," Teddy cut in. "Are you starving? I'm _famished_! Quidditch always makes me hungry. Come on; dinner will be served soon."

The brunette nodded and followed Teddy back to Hogwarts.

**

* * *

**

"Don't look at me like that," Blaise said, amused (and embarrassed, though he hid it perfectly well).

Hermione forced to close her lips and bring her eyes back to their normal size. "How… how…" she blubbered, looking at the brand new broomstick on her hand. She distinctly remembered Harry and Ron gushing over this broomstick, Meteorite 1997, voicing out their awe and yearning for the said broomstick.

And now, here it was, clutched by a dumbstruck brunette. And for goodness' sake, it was hers!

"But… Blaise," she started once again, breathless. "You… didn't have to give me a new one. I can tolerate the school broomsticks. And besides… this is so _expensive_!"

"You'll tire out of the school broomsticks. _Trust me_," he said, softly chuckling. "And don't think of it as something expensive. Treat it as a congratulatory gift from a friend because his friend passed the Quidditch team."

To his surprise, Hermione's nose scrunched up in slight disgust. "You rich people treat money like rubbish," she said with humor. "You just throw it away anytime you want."

She sighed once again and gave Blaise back his 'congratulatory gift'. "I can't take it. This is too much, Blaise," she said. "And besides, why not use it as yours?"

"My broom's also Meteorite 1997," he butted in with a raised eyebrow. "What am I going to do with two identical broomsticks?"

Hermione sighed, this time a resigned one. "But seriously… _thank you_," she said, genuinely meaning it. "I still think this is _too much_, Blaise Zabini, but I think it's also pointless arguing with you. So, thank you very much."

Blaise chuckled and waved a hand dismissively. "We're mates, right?" he asked.

The brunette grinned and nodded her head. "Yeah," she said.

Mentally, she wondered what she would do for the rest of her ten months in Hogwarts if Blaise Zabini was not her roommate.

**

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**

**A/N: Aww, lucky Herms! I want an expensive broomstick to for Christmas :D Anyway, that's it for now. Do leave your reviews. Ciao for now! And again, Merry Christmas everybody! **

**With love,  
****2booklover**


	10. Enter Narcissa Malfoy

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's. **

**A/N: Oh my… **_**WOW**_**. HAPPY NEW YEAR, MY DEARIES! Last year was actually full of disappointments for me and I do wish this year will be a better one. **

**Anyway, I'm sorry for the late update. I was in our province from the twenty-sixth until now. I was too busy mingling with my awesome cousins. And besides, there was no internet connection in that place so, I hope you understand. **

**Just read now. :D And do review after reading. Enjoy!**

_**Warning/s: **_**Draco's (kissable) potty mouth. You've been warned. **

**

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**

**Chapter Ten: Enter Narcissa Malfoy**

Hermione rushed towards the nearest boys' loo, her face twisted with uneasiness.

One thing she hated about Potions was that no matter how much nature was calling you, you had to hold it in. Snape always got annoyed when one of his students would ask permission to go to the bathroom. Apparently, he discovered that _most _of them just used it as an excuse to do some of their… _personal _activities.

And so, the brunette was running towards the nearest boys' loo, pleading for her bladder to hold it in just for a few more minutes.

Finally, she arrived. She slowly opened the door first and peeked in. Despite pretending to be a guy for almost a month already, she still found using the boys' comfort room _uncomfortable_.

Hermione released a relieved sigh upon seeing that no one was around. Her nose momentarily scrunched up in disgust before hurtling towards the nearest cubicle only to emerge back outside, a hand covering her eyes.

"Oh Merlin, I'll never get used to this," she murmured under her breath, occupying the cubicle next to the other one. Thankfully, it was much cleaner than the previous one and Hermione relieved her complaining bladder.

She remembered the first time she went to the boys' loo, Harry in tow. He was the first one who peeked in, looking if someone was inside. After making sure that no one was present, Hermione immediately walked in and almost screamed in horror.

A panicked Harry came bustling inside, wand drawn. _"What? Where? What is it? Are you all right?"_ he constantly asked, his head moving around wildly.

"_You call this a comfort room?"_ she shrieked, pointing an accusatory hand at Harry. _"I am no way comforted in this… this __**jungle**__!"_

She had to stomp into Moaning Myrtle's abandoned washroom, a hysterically laughing Harry still in tow. Myrtle was there, floating around and was surprised to see visitors, especially Harry Potter.

Myrtle tended to be nosy at times and Hermione softly pleaded Harry to distract her so that she could answer nature's call. She didn't want some deranged ghost to one day spout her secrets all over Hogwarts.

To Harry's pure horror, the said ghost started to _flirt _with him. Memories of their second year rushed back into him; _memories _of times when they spent planning and making a Polyjuice Potion in this same bathroom; _memories _of discovering the Chamber of Secrets and Myrtle shamelessly telling him that if somehow he did not survive this particular mission, she was willing to share her bathroom with him.

"_Oh Merlin, Austen, are you done yet?_" was his strangled exclamation. They agreed that he'd call her either 'Austen' or 'Hermes' if they were outside the safety of the Room of Requirement.

Hermione had successfully answered nature's call and emerged, looking a little less cranky than before. Upon seeing her best friend's tortured look, she only rolled her eyes and dragged the horrified Boy-Who-Lived with her, leaving a pathetically whining Moaning Myrtle.

And now, once again, she had successfully relieved her uneasiness and emerged out of the comfort room. Thankfully, no one was still inside the loo. Hermione immediately rushed out and composed herself.

She now started to walk to the Great Hall to eat her lunch when suddenly, a hand grabbed her from nowhere and forced her to hide behind an alcove.

Hermione, greatly terrified, released a loud yelp, which was then muffled by a sudden hand covering her hand. Out of instincts, she bit her captor's hand and was about to flee the said alcove.

"Ow! Hermione! It's me!" Harry softly hissed, forcing the brunette to look at him.

He had a pained scowl on his face as he cradled his injured hand. "Seriously," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "There's no need to overreact."

Hermione mirrored his scowl. "Harry," she spat back in a whisper, "don't do that ever again. You hear me?"

"Oh, gladly!" he exclaimed, frowning at his hand.

The brunette sighed and shook her head. "Why did you suddenly do that?" she asked. "You can ask me to meet you in the Room of Requirement, you know."

An impatient look settled on Harry's face. "Whatever," he dismissed. "Anyway, is it true that you _bloody _passed your Quidditch try-outs? I mean, that you are official one of _the _Chasers of the Slytherin Quidditch team?"

Harry looked genuinely disbelieving Hermione was driven to grimace. "Is it that hard to believe, huh, Harry?" she asked, accusing.

Her best friend raised both of his arms in defense. "Stop giving me that infamous 'Mrs. Weasley glare', Hermione," he said, trying to calm her down. "It's just that… you? Part of _a _Quidditch team?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" she retorted back in low growl.

"Hey, it's just that you… you used to bash Quidditch so much," he replied back with a reason. His cheeks colored and he nervously scratched his head. "And besides… you? Part of _a _Quidditch team?" He released a disbelieving chuckle whilst shaking his head. "I mean… _come on_."

"You do realize that you sound like you're insulting my Quidditch abilities, right Harry?" she said, grimacing, though her anger had diminished quite a bit.

"You can't blame me," he said, again as a good reason.

Hermione sighed and ruffled her short hair in annoyance – a habit she developed as soon as she started to pretend as a guy. "Well… ever heard of adrenaline rush?" Upon seeing his nod, she continued, "You can say that I was… _charged _with fear and so, my adrenaline kicked in. And besides" – her cheek colored – "I don't want to give Malfoy another reason to mock me _every day_."

She shook her head and laughed. "Ha! You should have seen his face when I goaled four out of five. _Priceless_, I tell you! And it increased _ten-fold _when he saw the new Meteorite 1997 that Blaise gave me. It was hil" –

"Hold on," he butted in, his eyes as wide as saucers. "You… _Zabini got you what_?"

A smirk formed on her face. "The broomstick that you and Ron had been gushing over like a pair of fan girls," she proudly said. A sigh escaped from her lips, mocking. "It's _wickedly_ _awesome _to have rich friends at times."

Harry's face was so comical Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "_What_?" he asked again in disbelief. "Shit, I'd been dreaming of having that for _ages_." He released a groan and frowned at Hermione. "If I knew better, I'd say that he's already stealing my best friend from me."

Hermione rolled her eyes and wrapped an arm over Harry's shoulder, mimicking Teddy. "Oh the drama," she said, her anger completely diminished. "Don't worry, Potter, I'm allowing you to ride on it first before me for being such a good mentor and making me pass Quidditch."

He looked genuinely surprised, yet undoubtedly pleased. "You mean it?" he asked. When he saw her nod, he released a silent whoop. "Oh, I can't wait to see Ron's face when I told him I tried riding on a Meteorite 1997!" He gave her a kiss on her cheek. "Thanks Hermione; you're the best."

"Oh, I know," she said with a grin. "Just don't tell him that it was me who allowed you, huh? It might arouse some suspicions from Ron. You know him."

He nodded. "Okay, okay," he said. "Now, I'm setting you free from this blasted alcove because I'm famished." He gave her another kiss before emerging out of the alcove.

"Oh boys and Quidditch," she thought, shaking her head. "Guys are so _predictable _when it comes to Quidditch."

Hermione stayed behind for a bit, in case someone was passing by. After all, she did not want to start rumors about Hermes Austen and Harry Potter in a _dark _and _secluded _alcove. Things might be misinterpreted.

**

* * *

**

"Hey, Hermes!" Blaise called out, halting Hermione's steps.

She just arrived in front of the oak-wooden door of the Great Hall, anticipating lunch (she was truly starving) and was once again interrupted by none other than Blaise Zabini.

Hermione looked at him with raised eyebrows, curious. "Yeah?" she asked, watching as Blaise jogged towards her.

"Can you accompany me to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" he asked, a hopeful look on his face.

"Oh right, Hogmseade," she mused aloud. She actually had forgotten Hogsmeade Day would happen tomorrow again. "Yeah, sure. I mean, Teddy, Malfoy, you and I came together last Hogsmeade Day, right?"

Blaise nodded his head, a charming smile on his face. "Yes, but," he started, "Teddy's going to serve detention tomorrow and I think Draco has an appointment with Dumbledore so… it'll be just you and me."

"Oh," she said. Blaise was acting a bit suspicious Hermione was driven to ask. "Will… something happen tomorrow?"

Blaise's smile grew. "Well… actually, I have a date," he said. "And she said she will be late for a while. I'm kinda nervous tomorrow, you know. I have no idea what she feels for me. And most importantly, I have no idea what _I _feel for her. So, that's why we agreed to have a date to try to understand each other's feelings and I want you to accompany me first to put my nerves at bay… So, are you game?"

Hermione grinned widely. "Of course," she exclaimed. _'So, Blaise Zabini is having girl problems, huh?' _she mused. Ever since Harry and Ron had hit puberty, they treated Hermione as their adviser for their girl problems. And so far, she was an expert in this field. Now that Blaise was the one having girl problems, she agreed without hesitation.

"Great!" he exclaimed, patting Hermione's shoulders. "Thanks, Hermes. You'll be such a great help."

"No problem," she retorted back.

"Anyway, I got to go," Blaise said. "I still have to finish my extra credit in Transfiguration."

"Aren't you going to eat lunch first?" she asked.

Blaise shrugged. "Nah, I think I'll pass," he said. Blaise made a move to go. "Well, see you later. And don't forget our appointment tomorrow!"

"I sure won't," was her reply as Blaise jogged back into the library, waving his hand in farewell.

As soon as he was out of sight, Hermione turned around and shook her head. "Boys," she said, opening the oak-wooden doors.

Students were already half-way done eating their lunch. Hermione briskly walked towards where Teddy and Draco were staying and plopped down beside Teddy, who was sitting across the blond.

"What took you so long?" Teddy inquired, munching his California maki. "Lunch's almost over."

"I just bumped into Blaise," she said, gathering food on her plate. "Do you know that Blaise will have a date tomorrow?"

To her surprise, Teddy coughed and Draco's eyes widened.

"Blaise… on a date?" the blond exclaimed, apparently hearing Hermione's new information. "That's some news."

Hermione frowned. "Why? He never dated anyone before?" she asked.

"Well, Blaise doesn't really… give much attention to the opposite sex," Teddy said after his coughing fit ceased. "And now that he has a date… _wow_. Draco, our Blaise Zabini is finally growing up! Aren't you proud?"

Draco's mere answer was an eye roll.

"It's sad that you won't be with us in Hogsmeade tomorrow, _Teddy_," Hermione said, shooting a glare towards Malfoy's direction.

The adorable Slytherin sighed. "Yeah, me too," he stated back. "I mean… I wanted to spy on Blaise's date."

"I'll be there," she said, shrugging. "He even asked me to accompany him first to calm his nerves."

"Figures," Draco butted in. "Zabini only wanted to _use _you first, _Austen_."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione shot back, her glare darkening.

"Think whatever you want to think, nuisance," the blond calmly said after drinking the remnants of his pumpkin juice. He then stood up and was about to walk out of the Great Hall but then stopped to look at a fuming Hermione, "Good luck on tomorrow, _Austen_. And be a good comforter for Blaise, okay? I don't want him to blow his chance of finally getting some girl in his life."

Hermione bristled as soon as Draco walked away.

Teddy sighed. "Don't mind him," he told her. "Draco just likes to tease people."

The brunette sighed and rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she murmured, finishing up her food.

**

* * *

**

"Sherbet Lemons."

The ugly stone gargoyle sprang into life and jumped off its perch, allowing Draco to enter. A slowly ascending circular staircase met his eye and carefully, he jumped on the first step and slowly rose off the ground.

Draco soon reached the top and stepped off the staircase and was greeted by an oak-wooden door with a brass griffin as its doorknocker.

Gingerly, he knocked. A soft "come in" replied. The Slytherin twisted the brass doorknob and was gained entrance into the Headmaster's Office.

Draco had known this particular room by heart. After all, this was the same room that Dumbledore asked for him to regularly meet with him regarding the future plans of the Dark Lord.

His eyes landed on the portraits of the past Headmasters and averted them once again on Fawkes. The last time he came here, the phoenix was sick and dying. And now, Fawkes was alive and healthy, even greeting him with a soft squawk.

Draco patted his head gently before walking straight towards the Headmaster's table, only to see that he was not sitting on his usual table.

He looked around, confused. Soon, Dumbledore emerged from a humongous bookshelf, a book in hand.

"Pardon me, Mister Malfoy. I was just having some… research," the old man said, walking to his desk and sitting down on his usual chair. He gestured him to sit across from him, which the Slytherin did, and he then looked at Dumbledore expectantly.

"You've asked for my presence, Professor?" he asked as a start of their conversation.

Dumbledore sighed and nodded, absentmindedly rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I apologize," he said. "I am aware that it's Hogmseade Day today and I'm depriving you from one of your most-awaited breaks. But, I have some important news for you, Mister Malfoy, and I'm afraid I have to tell it to you as soon as possible."

Worry became visible on the young man's face. "And, what is it?" he asked, millions of predictions swarming inside his head.

"It regards your mother," the Headmaster continued, eyes intently on his student.

Draco bristled on his seat, his cool mask cracking. "What about her?" he asked morosely… voice _controlled_.

Dumbledore frowned in worry. "Healer Watson wished to speak to you, Mister Malfoy," he continued, intertwining his fingers. "He asked me to grant you permission to go to St. Mungo's and I am. You are allowed to visit your mother today but please be back before five in the afternoon."

The blond nodded, already rising up from his seat. "I guess I'll be using your fireplace now," he softly said.

"Please," Dumbledore said, gesturing towards his fireplace. He watched as Draco slowly dragged himself towards the Headmaster's fireplace. The Slytherin grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, threw it into the fireplace, stepped inside the glowing emerald fire, and shouted a loud and clear "St. Mungo's!"

And soon, Draco Malfoy was gone.

As soon as he was out of sight, Dumbledore slowly shook his head and rubbed his aching temples. "Poor boy," he murmured, grabbing his abandoned book and continuing his research about an incantation and parents of a certain brunette incognito.

**

* * *

**

An unwanted cough escaped from Draco as soon as he stepped off the fireplace. He consciously brushed off some ashes off his shoulders, mentally cursing the disadvantages of Floo Powder.

He finally arrived at the reception area of the hospital. The usual Welcome Witch, a kind and old lady by the name of Ellen Stone, greeted him with a warm smile. Draco did not even bother to chat with her. After all, he already knew the location of his mother's room after weeks of secretly visiting Mrs. Malfoy.

To his horror, he felt a little nervous. He hated hospitals. Always had and always will. First of all, he _loathed _the smell of Disinfecting Charms and soothing salves. They always left him nauseous. Another was the fact that it was a place where the injured and inflicted people come and go. He hated to see the abnormalities that appeared on each and every patient.

And now… knowing that his mother was confined in St. Mungo's made him hate it all the more.

Narcissa Malfoy had never been a supporter of the Dark Side. She just _pretended _to just to please her husband and for Draco's sake. But then, her pretense broke when the day that she feared the most finally came.

Draco's initiation.

She was devastated, knowing that her _only _son, a mere sixteen-year-old boy, would become a Death Eater at such a tender age. She always told the blond that she wished him a better life than this… that she wished he never grew up in such an environment wherein _evil _was everywhere.

And most of all, she apologized to him for being weak and failing to protect him more from his father's _evil _plans for him.

Draco's initiation day came and for support, his parents were with him. Lucius was undoubtedly proud his only heir was following his footsteps. And Narcissa… she was feeling the opposite. Draco was the only one who saw through her fake grins and other pretenses.

As the painful Dark Mark was tattooed on his left arm, he was the only one who saw a regretful tear that rolled down from his beautiful mother's eye.

After that, his missions started. At first, Narcissa never said anything about her anxieties in front of Lucius, only at the presence of Draco. But then, his missions became more and more dangerous to the point of failures already cost his life.

One day, Narcissa voiced out her interjection to Lucius. The Malfoy Patriarch was so enraged with Narcissa's objections, spitting words of disgust and obvious regret that he married a woman who did not respect his own lord.

Draco was there, silently watching this sudden exchange of heated words between his parents, mostly from his father. But he never saw the next thing that Lucius did to Narcissa coming.

A dark curse, he later on discovered. A dark curse that if not successfully lifted off his mother, Narcissa Malfoy would die.

He was so devastated about this and swore that he would avenge his mother. He ran off, together with his mother, to the safest place he knew – Hogwarts.

Dumbledore received him with open arms and promised to help him and his mother. He promised to protect his mother from harm. The Slytherin was so grateful and swore to the old man that he would be loyal to the Light Side from then on and that he was willing to put his life into danger just so he could tell some pieces of information from Voldemort's side.

"Mister Malfoy."

The blond was cut off from his musings by Healer Watson. He blinked thrice and was amused to discover that he was already in front of his mother's room.

"Healer Watson," he greeted with a small tilt of his head. "Dumbledore told me you have to meet me."

The healer looked grave as he nodded and gestured Draco to follow him inside of his mother's room.

Narcissa still looked the same – sickly and motionless. His once beautiful mother was gone, replaced by an ailing woman fighting for her survival. The healers already knew the dark curse placed on his mother and were already doing everything they could to break the said curse.

Draco gingerly approached his mother and bent down to give her a kiss on her forehead, brushing some wiry fringes off her head.

"Mister Malfoy," Healer Watson called once again.

The blond swiveled around, eyebrows raised in question.

The healer regretfully sighed, eyes darting everywhere but Draco. "We… we've been doing everything to break the curse placed on your mother. And please believe me when I tell you that we give a lot of importance on her current predicament. But… but I apologize. I think that this will fail in the end."

Draco's eyes enlarged.

"_But_," the healer interjected, continuing, "but of course, the decision will be yours. Do you wish for us to continue or… end this?"

Silence.

Healer Watson watched the Malfoy heir in apprehension, his silence making him more agitated.

"What kind of a question is that?" Draco suddenly said. The healer flinched with the tone of his voice: cold… _biting_. "Are you telling me you're giving up already?" His voice raised a notch higher or two, eyes clearly ablaze with fury. "I am _fucking _paying you to do your _damn _job!"

He was shouting now. "Are you sure you're doing your _job_?" he demanded, taking a few threatening steps towards the healer. "Do you need me to pay you more to find a _fucking _cure for my mother? HUH? TELL ME!"

His voice thundered and one curious healer walked inside the room. "What is going on in here?"

Draco grabbed Healer Watson's collar in fury. He neared his furious face towards the already frightened healer. "Do whatever it takes to find a cure for my mother, _Watson_!" he growled, his grip with his collar tightening.

The new healer pleaded for him to let go of poor Healer Watson but they all fell into deaf ears.

"I am going to pay you more if needed," he sneered. "And don't you _dare _give up because for _fuck's sake_, she's my mother! And I am telling you I've never given up hope yet."

And with that, he released the healer with so much force. Healer Watson toppled and landed on the ground, watching as the blond stalked out of the room in haste.

"You all right?" his colleague asked, helping him up back to his feet.

Healer Watson sighed. "Yeah," he said. "I guess."

"Do you want me to - ."

"No, leave him alone," he answered. "I actually expected that kind of reaction from him."

**

* * *

**

"Oh Merlin, why do I always forget to look at the time when I'm in the library?" Hermione asked herself, walking inside the Slytherin common room after shouting the password for entrance.

A few Slytherins greeted her, which she returned with a bemused smile. Even if she was a Slytherin for almost a month already, it still surprised her when some of her Housemates greeted her with warm smiles and hellos.

The brunette walked up the stairs towards her room and reached it after a few big strides. She banged it open, not even minding to shut it up again. "Oh, Blaise is going to _kill _me if I'm late," she muttered under her breath.

Hermione passed Draco Malfoy's bed (just beside her own). She already took two steps away from his bed before halting.

Eyebrows knitted in confusion, she took two steps back. Her eyes landed on the blond's bed and frowned. "Malfoy?" she asked, noticing a lump on top of Draco's bed, proof that someone was present on top of his bed.

Her confusion increased ten-fold when a soft gasp was heard under his comforter. "Malfoy?" she asked once again. All thoughts about Blaise were forgotten as she cautiously approached his bed. "Are you all right?" She gingerly placed a hand somewhere on his chest and once again, he gasped.

To the brunette's surprise, his pale right hand emerged from other the blankets and rudely pushed her hand away. "_Get out_," he hissed and Hermione couldn't help but flinch at the tone of his voice.

She frowned, eyes landing on his visible hand and noticed that they were shaking. "Are you all" –

Her question faded upon hearing a sound coming from him… a _sob_.

"Malfoy?" she asked, astonished.

"I said leave me alone, _Austen_," he repeated, muffled by the comforter hiding his head.

There was no doubt – his voice was thick with _tears_.

'_Crying?' _Hermione asked herself in disbelief. _'Draco Malfoy is crying?' _

Just then, the brunette remembered the promise she made with Blaise and she was torn… would she leave Draco Malfoy behind, who was _obviously _distressed, or go to Blaise and be somehow a witness of him with another girl he was still confused whether he liked or not?

"Oh for Merlin's sake!" she exclaimed softly, dashing towards her bedside table and retrieving a parchment, an ink bottle, and a quill.

'_Blaise will be with a girl,' _she thought, hastily scribbling an apology letter. _'I'll just be a bother to both of them.' _

She looked for an owl to bring her letter to Blaise and only spotted Draco's eagle owl. She decided to borrow him for a while; after all, the blond was the reason why she was ditching Blaise's appointment.

"Bring that to Blaise, yeah?" she told Malfoy's regal owl, which hooted authoritatively, before flying off his perch and out the window.

As soon as he was gone, Hermione's eyes landed back on Draco's form and unconsciously, her eyes squinted into concern. Whatever Malfoy was crying over, she thought it had affected him greatly for cracking the calm and collected mask the blond always wore.

Sighing, she approached his bed once again. She noticed how he tensed up and shifted on his bed, face now opposite from Hermione.

"Look, Malfoy," she started, "I… I…" She paused, not completely sure of what to say. She absentmindedly scratched her head, thinking. "Do you… do you want some porridge?" Her cheeks inflamed upon realizing her lame question. "I… I think it'll help comfort you."

Draco's only answer was silence. Hermione once again sighed and stood up. "I'll be right back," she said and walked out of their room.

**

* * *

**

_Blaise,_

_I am so sorry for breaking my promise. Malfoy's not feeling well and I think he needs some comfort from me._

_I'm sincerely sorry. I'll make it up to you someday, okay? And just tell me what happened with your date. _

_I hope you'll have fun there. _

_Hermes _

Blaise frowned at the letter, before scowling and crumpling it away from his sight. Malfoy's owl hooted, asking for a reply back.

The Italian shook his head and sighed. "Keep me company for a while, okay?" he said, giving him some food. "I don't want to be alone today."

**

* * *

**

Hermione arrived back at their room, a hot bowl of porridge carefully clutched between her hands.

She immediately strode towards Draco's bed and placed the comfort food on top of his bedside table. "I brought you porridge, Malfoy," she told him, eyes landing on his hidden body under the comforter. He did not make any noise, only a soft sniff that was still audible enough for Hermione to hear.

Absentmindedly, she walked to her bed and sat on its edge, eyes still entirely set on the blond. While she was helping the house-elves make porridge for her roommate, millions of theories rushed into her head. But unfortunately, not even a single one made sense.

She wanted to ask him what was wrong… _badly_, she confessed, but it was obvious that he was so upset over something that had happened to him. If she were in his place, she would also be adamant on hiding the reason why she was uncontrollably sobbing under her bed covers.

Her eyes landed on one of their windows and noticed that it was nearing twilight. Partway of the Slytherin dungeons was submerged under the Hogwarts Lake, but their room was one of the few places where they could see the scenery above the said lake.

'_Teddy and Blaise will be back soon,' _she told herself thoughtfully.

As if on cue, their door burst open and an exhausted Teddy came in.

"Hey Teddy!" was Hermione's cheerful greeting. To her utmost surprise, the carefree Slytherin only gave her a small nod of acknowledgement whilst releasing a wide yawn.

She concluded his energy was drained from his detention as she watched him remove his shirt, baring his chest, and plopped down on his bed. Only a minute passed but he was already snoring on his bed.

The door opened once again and Blaise came in.

"Hey Blaise!" she greeted. "How was your date?"

Her eyes widened when her Italian friend looked at her, his usual warm aura gone replaced by a dark cloud hovering above his head. He only looked at her coldly before climbing up his bed and covered his whole body with his comforter.

The brunette frowned, looking from one roommate to the other.

'_They sure are acting so weird today,' _she thought, standing up from her bed.

Hermione decided to leave them alone for the night. She walked out of their room, thinking of going to the Great Hall to eat dinner.

'_I hope they'll be back to normal tomorrow.' _

**

* * *

**

**A/N: Ooh… more and more information are being revealed! :D Hahaha, and aww, my – **_**ahem **_**– **_**our **_**Draco was crying! If I were Hermione, I'd be hugging him now.**

**Anyway, so what do you think? Personally, I somehow like this chapter. I do love the Harry here in this story of mine. And, what was **_**that **_**with Blaise Zabini? So many questions are needed to be answered already! Don't worry, I'll try my best to post on the right schedule. That's my new year's resolution. And good news, I'll be having my own laptop next month! It's not exactly brand new but, oh, what the heck? It's very hard to share a computer with two other siblings, especially if you're a writer. I have this gut feeling I'll be able to formulate more plots if I have my own laptop. **

**So, that's it for now! Review, okay? Until next time. Ciao for now!**

**With love,  
****2booklover4**


	11. Back to Normal

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's. **

**A/N: Hello, dearies! Well, this is the eleventh chapter of the story OaP and so far, I can see that based from your reviews, you are enjoying (well, ****SOME****). Anyway, I'm as free as a bird today! I just do not have any idea if I'll be one next week. **

**Oh well, just read this chapter now. Review afterwards, okay? Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Eleven: Back to Normal**

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"Good morning, Hermes!" Teddy greeted in a sing-song voice after plopping down beside Hermione. He started gathering food on his plate whilst talking to the disguised brunette. "How was your sleep? I hope it was a good one."

"I see you're back to normal," she mused aloud, watching as he enjoyed his pancake drenched with maple syrup.

"Yeah?" he asked. "How so?"

Hermione absentmindedly shrugged, munching her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "Well… I'm not used to seeing you so tired and drained. I mean, it was obvious that you were _exhausted _after your detention yesterday. It's just that… it's not _like _you."

"Hmm…" he murmured, looking at Hermione with amused eyes.

The brunette smiled back at him, her head slightly shaking. "There's some maple syrup at the corner of your mouth, Teddy," she said, gesturing towards the stain on his handsome face.

"Where?" he asked, wiping a specific spot.

"The other side," Hermione pointed out but still, Teddy was still not able to wipe away the syrup off his face. "Oh seriously…" The brunette leaned slightly towards the carefree Slytherin and without hesitation, pressed her thumb against the corner of his mouth and gingerly wiped off the syrup.

"There," she announced, satisfied with her small work. "It's gone already."

To her surprise, a terrible shade of red covered Teddy's whole face. His eyes were as wide as saucers as he stared at her wordlessly.

"M-mate," he stuttered out, placing a slightly shaky hand against the spot Hermione had just touched a while ago. "Don't do that. It's… it's weird…"

Hermione grew sheepish. "I'm sorry," she said, returning back to her breakfast. "I just can't tolerate… messy table manners."

"What are you? A girl?" he exclaimed, accusations in his voice. "Sheesh!"

The brunette's eyes grew wide upon hearing his accusation. "O-of course not!" she shouted back. "It's just that… that my parents taught me that _real _men eat properly, not shovel food down their throats as if there was no tomorrow."

Teddy grimace, now unconsciously rubbing his ruddy cheeks. "Yeah, yeah," he said in a dismissive tone. "Just… just don't do that again, yeah?" He shivered and Hermione pondered whether he did that voluntarily or not. "That was weird… Ah, whatever! Let's just enjoy our breakfast, shall we?"

"Of course," she answered back, nodding her head a bit too enthusiastically. _'Whew, that was close,' _she thought.

"Oh, good morning, Blaise!" Teddy warmly greeted. Hermione looked at the incoming Slytherin and sighed in relief upon seeing that he was sporting his usual charming smile on his face.

'_He's back to normal, too,' _she thought, watching as Blaise sat down across from her.

"Good morning," he greeted back, eyes now landing on Hermione. "And good morning to you, too, Hermes."

Hermione grinned back. "Good morning, Blaise!" she exclaimed.

"So tell me," Teddy butted in, trying to catch Blaise's attention, "what happened to your date yesterday? And who's the lucky girl, for goodness' sake! We've been waiting all our lives just to see you date a girl, Blaise, do you know that?"

Blaise's smile faltered a bit, Hermione observed. "Let's not talk about that, Teddy," he said. "Not now."

Hermione's eyebrows knitted in concern. "Did something happen, Blaise?" she inquired. "Last night you came back… a bit odd?"

He only shrugged. "Really now?" was his absentminded question before starting to gather his breakfast on his plate. That only deepened Hermione's frown. She made a mental note to squeeze out some information from her friend later on.

The attention on Blaise was soon diverted when their last roommate plopped down beside the Italian, a huge scowl already visible on his pale, handsome face.

"Good morning, Draco!" Teddy exclaimed.

The blond only grunted in reply and like what Blaise did, he started gathering food on his plate.

Hermione thoughtfully stared at him, her mind returning back to the events that happened yesterday regarding him. She was still not able to conclude the reason of Malfoy's astonishing distress. All she was able to understand was that something big might had happened to break his calm and collected mask. After all, he was _the _almighty Draco Malfoy; he would die in embarrassment if someone was able to see vulnerability in him.

'_Hmm… I do wonder,' _she mused, eyes still firmly pasted on the blond. _'Maybe something had happened with his appointment with Dumbledore.'_

She snapped out of her thoughts once Draco's eyes landed on her brown ones. She _swore _he looked humiliated as he stared back at her, but just in a snap of a finger, it was gone, replaced by a venomous glare. Hermione was driven to look away, wondering why she felt a bit… _scared _at Malfoy's sudden animosity.

Hermione was afraid that he would do something to her because she saw him at his lowest. _'Or maybe he's afraid I'll _mock _him just like what he would do if he saw _me _at my lowest,' _she thought. And Merlin, she was greatly tempted to do that but thankfully, she was _way _different than Draco Malfoy.

The brunette already thought of possible things that Draco would do once he reverted back to his normal self. One: he might probably sneak into her bed while she was dead to the world and _obliviate _her memory of his vulnerable side; two: _or _he might probably sneak into her bed while she was dead to the world and hex her as much as possible until she was _too _injured to remember the events that had happened yesterday; and lastly: he might desperately search her deepest, darkest secret so that he would be able to blackmail her when she _dared _to open her blabbing mouth and tell the whole school that indeed, Draco Malfoy was not _so _almighty at all because even he could shed some tears.

'_Oh jeez,' _she thought, shivering at the thought. _'Who knew witnessing Draco Malfoy's vulnerable side will be bothersome. Merlin, I actually fear for the security of my secret.' _

Judging from Malfoy's foul mood and sneers, he was back to normal. Any traces of his vulnerability yesterday were completelygone. Hermione actually thought that yesterday was just a… _trance_. It had never happened at all. But when she woke up this morning and saw an empty bowl of porridge sitting innocently on Draco's bedside table was enough proof that yesterday was real.

Seeing the empty bowl had surprisingly brought a smile on Hermione's face. Despite his stubborn attitude, he still _secretly _ate the warm porridge she prepared for him.

"There will be a Quidditch practice at six in the evening," Draco suddenly said, snapping Hermione out of her reverie. She blinked countless times and stared back at the blond, surprised that he was staring intently at her. "And I don't want anyone to be late later. Particularly you, _nuisance_."

'_Yep,' _she thought, a sour frown on her face. _'Everybody's definitely back to normal.' _

* * *

"YOU CALL THAT A THROW? MERLIN, AUSTEN, A FIVE-YEAR-OLD CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT!"

Up in the sky, a very irritated Hermione Granger bristled.

It was an hour after six and the official members of the Slytherin Quidditch team were seen zooming around the Quidditch Pitch, practicing at their hardest.

Hermione had tolerated the first few minutes she was airborne. There were times when her fear would kick in and she had to shut her eyes and count from one to ten to calm her nerves. And so far, it had worked, though, not really that great.

As usual, Teddy was being his awesome self. Apparently, he grew more serious and had dodged quite a few Quaffles already, mostly thrown by Blaise.

Blaise, surprisingly, was an excellent Chaser. He was a bit aggressive, though not entirely hurting the other members; as long as he had the Quaffle in hand, he was satisfied. So far, he had thrown at least twenty Quaffles towards the goal hoops and scored at least fifteen goals.

And Hermione… in her opinion, she wasn't doing well. _'Oh who am I kidding! I suck!' _she screamed inside her mind, dashing towards the falling Quaffle only to be stolen once again by Blaise. Her luck seemed to diminish today and she was only able to handle the Quaffle _thrice_. If Harry was watching from the stands, she'd bet that he would be laughing hysterically at her already.

Malfoy was not helping at all. He had been shouting instructions and mockeries towards the brunette, enough to drive her insane. She was tempted to throw a Quaffle towards the direction of her captain but restrained herself. But as more minutes passed by, Draco seemed to notice her mistakes more and more and Hermione was growing less and less optimistic.

"FOR MERLIN'S SAKE, AUSTEN! FOCUS ON THE GAME!" he thundered from below, a huge scowl visible on his pale face. "IF THIS IS A REAL MATCH, SLYTHERIN MIGHT HAVE LOST ALREADY!"

_**Snap!**_

Her elastic band of patience just broke into two and before she knew it, her feet were flat on the ground. Her face was red with fury as she took huge strides towards the irritable blond. Their practice game had halted; all members of the team intently watched the impending scene between the two.

"You… you _shut up_!" she screamed back, her hands balled into fist. "I am _trying _my best to be a good Chaser, Malfoy! You do not need to point out my… my _mistakes_."

Hermione then walked away, her Meteorite 1997 firmly clutched in her right hand.

Silence soon settled in the Quidditch Pitch after the disguised brunette's exit. The only thing that was heard was Blaise returning back on the ground and wordlessly ran after the fuming brunette.

The other members of the team soon followed. Teddy cautiously approached his fuming best friend and swung a comforting arm over his shoulder. "Don't you think you're being too harsh on him, huh, Draco?" he asked gently. "Remember, he's still a newbie. Hermes can make mistakes."

Draco released a disgruntled sigh and closed his eyes. "Tell the others that Quidditch practice is done," he instructed, gently shrugging off Teddy's friendly arm. "I'm going to take a nap. Merlin, I'm tired." And with that, he trudged back to Hogwarts.

**

* * *

**

As soon as her anger ebbed away, Hermione realized the huge scene she made. Embarrassment settled in and she sighed, cursing herself for suddenly losing her temper.

With cheeks flushed, she arrived at the Great Lake and thankfully, she was all alone. She blindly strode towards one of the humongous rocks and sat on it, a grimace present on her face.

'_Great,' _she forlornly thought, running a hand through her hair. _'You just pushed him farther and farther away from you, Hermione Granger.'_

She glared at her broomstick, reminding her of her _undoubtedly _dramatic exit. Hermione released it not-so-gently and it fell on the ground with an ungraceful thud.

"You're not planning on ruining the broomstick I gave you, are you?"

Hermione whipped around so fast she swore she heard her neck crick. "Blaise!" she exclaimed in surprise, seeing her Italian friend in front of her. Apparently, he had followed her after she walked out from the Quidditch Pitch. Her cheeks colored in embarrassment once again and she looked away. "W-what are you doing here?"

Blaise raised an eyebrow as he slowly approached the disguised Slytherin. He sat down on the ground, just beside the rock Hermione was sitting on. He was silent for a while and Hermione watched him intently, a curious frown visible on her face.

Finally, he sighed and looked at Hermione. "You shouldn't have done that, you know," Blaise started. "Walking out from the Quidditch Pitch, I mean."

Her cheeks inflamed and she looked at her lap, ashamed. "I know," was her whispered answer. "It's just that… Malfoy _infuriates _me. I'm sorry; I have a really, really short temper and you have to blame my parents for that."

Blaise softly chuckled, shaking his head in the process. "I'm not blaming anybody," he corrected. "Draco's at fault, too. He shouldn't have been… _mean _to you, right?"

"Yeah!" she replied in defiance. "I mean, it was obvious I'm struggling to do the best I can muster, right, Blaise? You were right there in the Quidditch Pitch. It's true I haven't goaled" – she faltered for a bit – "but I was able to hold the Quaffle _thrice_. At least I'm still able to participate rather than stupidly fly around looking like a fool."

Once again, the Italian chuckled, this time because of pure amusement.

Hermione's blush darkened. "Eh, I'm sorry," she said. "I was babbling back there."

"Hmm…" he said, "sometimes, you never cease to amaze me, Hermes Austen."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

Blaise merely looked at her, a strange glint in his eyes. This caused Hermione's frown to deepen.

Silence ensued once again and Hermione allowed it. She somehow remembered that the comfortable moments she had with Blaise were lessening, and she was just happy that he was just there, keeping her company despite her embarrassing situations.

'_He's such a good friend,' _she thought, looking at him at the corner of her eyes. _'Maybe… I should have chosen to go to Hogsmeade yesterday than take care of that stubborn prat.'_

Hermione frowned and shifted on the rock, this time her body was fully facing the Italian. "Um… Blaise?" she started and watched as he looked at her, a curious look on his face. "I'm so sorry about what happened yesterday. It's just that Malfoy's not feeling well… and I can't leave him alone. I'm sorry."

Thankfully, Blaise merely sighed. Hermione actually expected him to blow up or something. "It's fine," he said, although his voice sounded slightly strained. "Don't fret over it."

The brunette smiled and looked away from him, her eyes landing on the Great Lake. "So… how was your date?" she asked. "Teddy and Malfoy were dying to know. I can't believe it's the first time you went out with the opposite sex, Blaise. So, go on; tell me what happened. I'm _dying _to know, too."

At the corner of her eyes, she saw him scratch the back of his neck. "Well," he started, "she… ditched me. She didn't come."

"What?" she cried in exclamation, looking back at him with wide eyes.

"She ditched me," he repeated, followed by a sigh. "She didn't come."

Regret bubbled at the pit of Hermione's stomach. "I'm sorry," she said, eyes downcast. "I… If I have known, I would have followed you to Hogsmeade and accompany you."

Blaise released a low chuckle. "It's fine," he repeated, "and besides, she told me that she had to take care of somebody." He paused and looked at his hands. "I admit that I became upset."

Hermione gingerly placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she continued. "No wonder you were so _furious _when you went back from Hogsmeade yesterday." Hermione paused, thoughtfully nibbled her bottom lip, before continuing, "Don't worry, next time I'll make it up to you." Her eyebrows furrowed. "But how will I make it up to you? Do you have anything in mind?"

He just looked at her, his charming smile on his face. "Nothing… just…" He paused and to Hermione's surprise, his cheeks slightly colored. It was suspicious, she thought, but she immediately brushed that thought away. "Just… approach _me _when you need help. Don't go to anybody else, okay?"

Hermione frowned with his suggestion and was about to interject, remembering Harry and all. But then, she also _remembered _that she was the one who broke a promise, therefore, she released a sigh and answered a sincere, "Okay."

Blaise grinned and stood up, absentmindedly brushing off dirt off his Quidditch uniform. "Great!" was his cheerful reply. "Now, I think we should better go. Dinner's about to start."

The brunette stood up, too, broomstick clutched on her right hand. "Yeah, I guess."

And together, they trudged back to the school grounds.

* * *

Practice had ended and soon, the members were flying back to the ground.

Hermione had this satisfied smile on her face. According to Harry's suggestion, drinking a mild Calming Draught could help her. At first, the brunette interjected, knowing that any kinds of potions drank during a Quidditch game was prohibited. But Harry assured that mild Calming Draughts were fine; it helped the drinker to be more focused on the game rather than his or her fear.

She found it _immensely _useful and felt grateful to Harry.

It was their second practice before the big game and although Hermione still hadn't improved her Quidditch skills, she was doing better. After all, she was able to goal _twice _and take hold of the Quaffle five times. Teddy and Blaise reassured her that if she practiced more, she would be an excellent Chaser.

To her utmost surprise, Malfoy left her alone. Of course, there were some snide remarks and subtle insults here and there, but he seemed less cruel to her than their first practice. And for that, she was thankful to Merlin.

And now, she was headed back to Hogwarts, already imaging her warm bath in the Prefects' Bathroom. With her current situation, Dumbledore had granted her access to the said bathroom, despite not being a Prefect or a Head, because of safety reasons.

"Hermes, where are you going?"

Teddy suddenly materialized beside her and swung an arm over her shoulder. "Don't tell me you won't take a shower," he accused, steering her back to the showering room. "Come on, you did well. You deserve a wicked shower together with your other wicked teammates."

Hermione's eyes widened. "But… but…" she stuttered, digging her heels into the sand to stop Teddy from dragging her. "I-I'll be taking a shower in the Prefects' Bathroom. I'll be fine."

"Oh, nonsense," the carefree student said, successfully dragging her back to the men's shower room. He pulled her inside and Hermione instantly colored, seeing some of her teammates _shirtless_. "You're a new member here in this team so let's take a shower together!"

"N-no, please, Teddy, I'll be fine," she softly pleaded. By that time, Teddy had successfully dragged her at the farthest corner of the room, a few feet away from the door.

"Tsk," he said in mock irritation. "Come on." He removed his arm from her shoulder. "I'll be in my locker first, okay? And for Merlin's sake, don't go anywhere."

And with that, he left an extremely embarrassed Hermione Granger.

The brunette hid behind a post, her back facing the stripping males.

'_Oh Merlin, what should I do?' _she asked herself, blushing madly upon hearing some comments from males she _knew _she shouldn't hear at all. _'This is _so _embarrassing. I can already imagine Harry laughing his arse off when he hears about this.' _

"Oi, Austen."

Hermione's blood ran cold when one of the beaters, newly appointed Ivan Raft, was standing in front of her, a large, boyish grin on his face.

He was _half-naked_, she observed, with only his boxers covering his manhood.

'_Don't look down, Hermione Granger, don't look down,' _she instructed herself, forcing her eyes to stay aloft, just looking at a spot directly above the sixth year's shoulder.

"You did slightly awesome a while ago," he praised, oblivious to the discomfort of his senior. "I mean… you were _way _better than our first practice." He looked from left to right and once satisfied, he leaned slightly closer to the brunette.

Hermione's eyes widened more in the process and instinctively closed her eyes.

"And I just want to say that your _dramatic _walk-out last practice was the coolest thing I had ever seen in my whole life," he continued in a soft whisper. "Nobody had ever humiliated Draco Malfoy like the way you did… well, with Hermione Granger as an exception. Too bad, she's dead. She actually entertains almost three-quarters of the whole Slytherin population. We're just _too _embarrassed to admit that."

Despite her _extreme _embarrassment, she cracked a small smile. "Err… thanks Raft," she said, slightly stuttering.

The sixth year Beater went back to his normal position and placed a friendly hand on her shoulder. Involuntarily, she flinched. "Just keep up the good work, Austen, and I think we'll make a _wickedly _awesome team." And with that, he walked away from the brunette.

Hermione sighed in relief once he was gone. _'Whew,' _she thought, wiping some sweat that formed on her forehead.

She mentally cursed the structure of the men's shower room. She took a mental note to complain this to Harry, and even inquired it to Dumbledore.

But first, she needed to get the _hell _out of here.

Some of her teammates were still stripping off their uniform and Hermione swore that if she stayed in a room with a bunch of _naked _teenaged boys, she was going to faint right there and then.

"Okay, you can do this, Hermione," she muttered under her breath, emerging out of her hiding place. "Just do not _look _at them. Yes, that's right. Just _don't _look."

With her eyes downcast, she determinedly marched towards the exit door of the shower room. Thankfully, her teammates were too busy teasing each other and were not able to notice an _embarrassed _and _suspicious _Hermes Austen.

"Oof," she cried, her right hand immediately flying to her smarting nose. "Ow."

"Where are you going?" Teddy cried, large grin on his face. "You haven't taken a shower yet."

Hermione's right hand halted mid-air. Her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets and instantly, her cheeks started to inflame so bright she swore it would have resembled the trademark Weasley hair already. She was too _horrified _to at least move a muscle.

Because right in front of her was a definitely _naked _Theodore Nott.

The brunette tried to open her mouth to answer back but to her extreme horror, she was too embarrassed to talk. "I…" she managed to squeak, her breathing started to get ragged. "I… a-a-m… U-Um… I w-was – ."

The next thing Hermione knew, a small towel was now covering her face, obscuring her sense of sight.

"I thought you said you had some school work to do, Hermes." Hermione's eyes lit up behind the small towel upon hearing Blaise's voice. "And for goodness' sake, Teddy, leave the poor newbie alone."

Hermione took a peek under the towel and saw Teddy scowl. "Fine, fine, whatever," he said. "I know how much you value your studies, Hermes. And I'm not doing anything to him, Blaise! I only wanted for him to take a shower here."

"Mmm-hmm," the Italian mumbled, guiding Hermione out of the _terrifying _men's shower room. The brunette almost cried in relief once her Quidditch boots crunched above the sandy top of the Quidditch Pitch. "Now, go do your homework."

Hermione removed the towel off her face and looked at Blaise gratefully. Thankfully, he was still wearing his Quidditch gear; therefore, she had no trouble thanking him.

He only nodded, an amused smile on his face, before gesturing her to go back inside Hogwarts.

She followed him without any second thoughts and ran as fast as she could back inside the school.

As soon as she was inside the premises of her beloved second home, Hermione swore that in the future Quidditch practices, she would slip away from the Quidditch Pitch as soon as she could.

"I need to talk to Harry!" she declared to the air, before dashing back to her room in the Slytherin dungeons.

* * *

**A/N: And, done! Please do review. **

**I was actually planning to reply to all of your reviews but truthfully, I'm feeling quite lazy now. So, no replies for now! But mind you, some of your theories are quite interesting. Others even made me smile. In the future, if I were to reply to your reviews already, if I do not answer any of your questions, there will be two reasons to it: first, your question will be answered in the future chapters and lastly, they are so close to the truth it's almost hilarious!**

**Oh, by the way, next chapter will be the Quidditch match! Hurray! XD**

**Well, I guess that's it for now. See you next week! Ciao :D**

**With love,  
****2booklover4**


	12. Danger Magnet

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I'm just a sixteen-year-old girl. So nope, I'm not JK Rowling and I do not own the Harry Potter series. **

**A/N: And I'm back! Woot, the twelfth chapter of **_**Only a Pretense **_**is here! I thank you to all those who've reviewed the previous chapter, which is quite a lot, actually. I mean, wow, twenty-five reviews! Well, actually, there are twenty-six, but one reader reviewed twice so that doesn't count (You know who you are!) **

**Anyway, I'm not going to make this long. Just read and review after. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Twelve: Danger Magnet**

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Hermione scowled, her eyes staring daggers at Harry Potter. "I honestly thought you'd laugh after I tell you my story," she pointed out.

Surprisingly, the Gryffindor's face stayed stoic all throughout Hermione's story. Her cheeks grew redder and redder while Harry grew more and more serious. The brunette assumed that he was probably being a good _best friend _to her. But seeing him so serious after a hilarious story was… _weird_.

"So can I laugh?" he asked, face still a perfect picture of indifference.

All the brunette did was to stare at him and soon, his cool and calm mask broke into pieces. The only thing that was heard around the Room of Requirement was Harry Potter's hearty laughter.

"Oh… oh s-shite, Hermione," he cried in between gasps of laughter. "Me-merlin that was the funniest story I had ever heard ever since the school-year began!" He paused, allowing himself to laugh harder than before. Hermione just watched him, a mixture of annoyance and pure amusement on her face, as Harry fell off the couch. This sudden action of his triggered more laughter from his mouth.

"Ah… gah… can't breathe," he commented soon, his laughter finally ceasing. He lifted himself off the ground and back on the couch.

Hermione sighed. "Are you done?" she asked, voicing out her annoyance.

"Aww… come on, 'Mione," Harry said, swinging an arm over her shoulder. "I can _truly_ imagine you standing in a room full of _naked _teenaged boys." He paused, his face contorting once again into mirth. Hermione merely sighed and watched him, not even bothering to reprimand him. She knew that her story was humorous. She couldn't deny that if _that _had happened to another female, she would undoubtedly laugh, too.

"And besides," the Gryffindor continued, "allow me to find humor in things even in this hardest period of our lives."

The brunette frowned, this time looking at Harry pointedly. There were times when The-Boy-Who-Lived would suddenly say things about his impending face-off with Voldemort, subtle or not. And for her, she couldn't help but hate him for that. There were times when Hermione _actually _thought that everything was well… that there were no Death Eaters and Voldemort lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right time to attack them at their lowest. But then, it would be ruined once Harry reminded her that they were not normal… that they had to brace themselves for the looming Second War.

Harry seemed to notice Hermione's sudden change of demeanor and he sighed, his arm over her shoulders tightening. "The Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin will be next week already, right?" he asked, changing the topic.

Hermione's frown gradually disappeared. "Yeah," she said after moments of silence. She was silently thankful for the sudden shift in their conversation. "Malfoy's been extra stricter with our team. He tends to become annoying, but I'll live."

The Gryffindor chuckled. "Yeah, well, I am willing to bet my precious Firebolt that my teammates want to already wring my neck in irritation," he said, running a hand through his hair, making it more unruly. "I can't help but boss them around, Hermione. I mean, this is a match between the _Slytherins_. I can't wait to beat their sorry arses and witness with glee as Malfoy becomes so humiliated in front of the whole school."

"Umm… Harry?" Hermione said, her teeth gritting. For some strange reason, she became annoyed after Harry's little comment. "You're actually talking about my current _House _here."

Harry laughed upon seeing the glare on her face. "Hermione, Hermione, Hermione," he said, shaking his head. "You're _part _of the Slytherin Quidditch team – my _rival_. Here in the Room of Requirement, you're my best friend disguising as a bloody guy. But in the Quidditch Pitch, you're one of the enemies. Remember that."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "That's so typical of you," she muttered back. Harry only grinned back. "I actually _expected _you to say that."

The brunette sighed and pulled away from Harry, a serious look on her face. "But seriously, no funny businesses, tomorrow, Harry Potter," she reminded. "Don't deny it but I know how you and Ron tend to get a little… _violent _every Quidditch matches. _Especially _if you're competing with the Slytherins."

"Well, they should bloody thank Merlin my best friend's in their team," Harry said, a boyish grin on his face. "If you are not part of their team, Hermione, I swear I will have to beat them without _mercy_."

"Oh, seriously…"

"But, just because you're part of the team doesn't mean I will be less competitive," he corrected. "I'll just be _extra _careful, okay? I'll keep in mind to remind my team to be _extra _careful without revealing your secret."

Hermione shook her head and sighed, a small smile on her face. "Boys are really so… _predictable _when it comes to Quidditch," she said. "I haven't met any bloke who doesn't go _gaga _over the word 'Quidditch'."

"Well, Quidditch is a wizard's best friend," he stated. "That's a fact every man in the Wizarding World should know."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, feigning boredom. "I have heard that countless times before." She released a yelp of laughter when Harry poked her ticklish sides. "Fine, fine, I believe you," she added, laughing loudly. Her eyes landed on her watch and she released a soft groan. "I'm sorry, Harry. Malfoy said we'll have practice today."

She was now standing up. "Well, I'll see you some time, Harry," she said.

"May the best team win!" was his farewell before Hermione fully walked out of the Room of Requirement.

**

* * *

**

"Are you nervous?" Teddy asked Hermione for the umpteenth time.

The brunette, unable to help herself, scowled and glared at the fretting carefree Slytherin beside her.

Today was the big game between Gryffindor and Slytherin. The moment the disguised Slytherin woke up that morning, dread permanently settled in her heart. She could barely touch her breakfast. She was thankful that even Malfoy seemed bothered by the upcoming game.

Hermione had taken a few gulps of a mild Calming Draught and was disappointed to discover that it did nothing to calm her frayed nerves. She knew that if she really drank a _normal _Calming Draught, her team might get disqualified from the Quidditch game and the Gryffindors would have won. And she did not like that.

Teddy's constant fretting did not help to put her nerves at bay, too. He kept on worrying his bottom lip, his eyes wide and cheeks pale. He kept on asking the brunette again and again if she was nervous and such, only fueling _her _nervousness more.

Blaise, on the other hand, seemed calm and collected. Hermione envied him for that, now directing her glaring eyes towards the other Slytherin Chaser. The Italian caught her eyes and raised an amused eyebrow upon seeing the hostile look on her face.

"How can you look so… so _fucking _calm there, Blaise, huh?" Teddy demanded, mimicking Hermione's glare.

The Slytherin rolled his eyes and released a soft chuckle. "Seriously," was his mere answer before absentmindedly placing a hand over their captain's blond hair and mussed it up a bit. "We'll be fine, Draco," he said upon seeing the questioning look from his best friend. "We'll be fine."

Hermione, moved with Blaise's comforting words, mentally berated herself for her extreme anxiety. Blaise was right - _they _would be fine. They had been practicing for hours and hours on the Quidditch Pitch. Hermione even had to give up her precious time for doing advanced homework just so she could improve her Quidditch abilities.

Her teammates did well, too. _Heck_, even Malfoy was a fabulous Quidditch Captain, albeit a nasty, aggressive one.

And as part of the team for a few days already, Hermione would _undeniably _say that the Slytherin Quidditch team has _unity_.

It was so obvious from Malfoy's constant reminders to the team under him and the constant reassurances of the members to the others… it was _evident. _

They were_ united_.

'_Unity's important to win, right?' _she asked herself, growing more and more confident as more minutes passed by. _'Yes, that's right. And we are _united_!' _

A small smile crept on her face, thankful that determination and the mild Calming Draught were starting to kick in.

Judging from the sudden ruckus the audience had made, the Quidditch game had officially started. Hermione distinctively heard Luna Lovegood announcing the members of the Quidditch team from the Gryffindor House.

When Harry's name was announced, a mixture of amusement and pride swelled in Hermione's heart. Amusement, because she heard Teddy mutter a soft '_fuck you' _under his breath when Harry zoomed into the Quidditch Pitch. And pride, because, well, _he _was still her best friend.

"And now, for the Slytherin Quidditch team!" Luna hollered. The students on the Slytherin stands burst into loud applause and cheering as the blonde Ravenclaw started to announce the members of the Quidditch team.

The brunette braced herself, ready to mount her broomstick. Teddy and Blaise were already called on the field and one-by-one, the others were called, too.

"Do your best, Austen," Draco told her just a minute before she was called. Hermione looked at him, surprised, and merely nodded before shooting up into the sky once Luna had announced her name.

Finally, all of the players were on the field. Madam Hooch, the Quidditch referee, whistled. Harry and Draco hovered just beside her, waiting for her official announcement for the start of the game.

"Captains, shake your hands, please," Madam Hooch said.

Hermione noticed how reluctant the two were to do a handshake. An amused look was seen on her face when she saw how the two tried to crush each others' hands.

Madam Hooch whistled once again, signaling the start of the game, and everybody returned to their respective positions in the air.

"And thus, let the games begin!"

**

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**

300-310, in favor of Slytherin.

That was the score an hour after the official game and Hermione was starting to get exhausted, although a little hyped.

A small smile flittered on her face, _absolutely _proud of herself for being the reason why Slytherin was leading.

It was just when Blaise threw the ball towards her. Her nervousness heightened upon catching the Quaffle. She was able to shoot at least seven Quaffles out of the thirty and she knew she was not doing badly at all.

Hermione had dodged a few Bludgers hurtled by the Gryffindor Beaters, determined to score another point for Slytherin. But then, the defense of the opponent team was so high. She saw Harry's conflicting gaze – would he help her or not?

But then again, she was part of the opposing team; therefore, she was one of the enemies.

The brunette had almost lost her grip with the Quaffle but thankfully, a hurtling Bludger from Ivan Raft had helped her retrieve the Quaffle once again.

She was now nearing the goal posts, with Ron Weasley as the Keeper. Hermione had faltered a bit, knowing that he was such a talented Keeper. Years and years of watching Ron play Quidditch was enough proof.

But one snarky comment from her best friend had sparked a flame inside her chest and out of rage, she threw the Quaffle towards the goal post as hard as she could. Ron was caught off guard, still in the middle of another snarky remark.

Hermione smirked triumphantly upon seeing his annoyed scowl and dark glare once she was able to score.

And thus, Slytherin was leading by ten points.

The Seekers for both teams were still looking for the Golden Snitch but was still not able to.

The Slytherin students roared once again when Blaise successfully shot another goal. Hermione gently smiled. _Maybe_ she was the reason why Ron had suddenly lost his concentration.

"Austen!"

Hermione whipped around, only to come face-to-face with her Quidditch Captain. She looked at him in caution. She actually waited for him to blow up or something.

To her surprise, Draco Malfoy did the _contrary_.

"Not bad," he praised. "Not _entirely _bad for a nuisance like you."

And to increase her surprise ten-fold, Draco Malfoy _smiled_.

It was minute… even barely there on his handsome face. But Hermione swore it was a smile.

Hermione Granger never believed in such romantic craps and clichés in romance novels. She never believed damsels in distress being saved by their bloody Prince Charmings. For Merlin's sake, this was reality. She scorned love at first sight; scoffed at swooning princesses and sweet nothings.

And especially abhorred stories wherein people claimed their heart stopped beating for a moment after seeing their true love.

But once Draco Malfoy flashed a teeny-weeny smile… once _he _allowed her to see his rare smile, Hermione Granger firmly believed that her heart had _truly_ _stopped beating_.

The blond seemed to realize what he just did because then, his small smile morphed into a large scowl. "Focus back on the game, nuisance!" he spat, before zooming away from the dazed brunette in disguise.

"You all right, Hermes?" Blaise suddenly said, his broom hovering a few feet away from Hermione. That had snapped Hermione out of her stupor and she shook her head, ridding off rubbishesinside her mind.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she announced, tightening her grip with her broom. "Don't mind me. Just go back and focus, Blaise."

And so, the game resumed, with Hermione determined as ever. Blaise had scored a couple more points for the Slytherin, increasing their lead. But the Gryffindor Chasers, especially Ginny Weasley, were getting back into the game, also scoring a couple more points for their team.

Then soon, Hermione found herself clutching the Quaffle once again. Her eyes were focused on Ron's form, her eyebrows knitted firmly to show her extreme concentration. Malfoy and Harry still hadn't found the Golden Snitch, and so, she knew that Chasers needed to score as much points as possible.

'_Malfoy,' _her mind suddenly thought. An unwanted image of his smiling face flashed into her mind and to her horror, her heart skipped a beat once again. She halted mid-air and was slightly bumped by one of the Gryffindor Chasers, causing her to entirely loose grip off the Quaffle.

"And… Hermes Austen lost grip of the Quaffle!" Luna announced for everyone to know whilst Hermione clutched her seemingly _dysfunctional _heart, eyes wide as saucers. "But look! Blaise Zabini was able to catch it. Good catch, there Zabini! And now the Italian Slytherin is hurtling towards the goal posts. Weasley, brace yourself! And Zabini shoots… HE SCORES! ANOTHER TEN POINTS FOR SLYTHERIN!"

Once again, the Slytherin students cheered in delight, already chanting the name of their House.

"AUSTEN!"

Hermione flinched as she rounded around, her eyes landing on the cause of her distraction.

"What the hell are you doing?" was the Captain's furious bellow. "Focus on the game, Austen! Focus! Thank Merlin, Blaise was able to save it for you!"

The brunette reluctantly nodded. For some strange reason, her cheeks started to inflame. She mentally berated herself and once again focused on the game.

Soon, the Quaffle was once again safe in Hermione's hands. She zoomed past her opponent, passed it to the other Slytherin Chaser, and then he passed it back to her.

"In a sudden desperate attempt, Jimmy Peakes hit an incoming Bludger towards one of his Slytherin opponents," Luna updated, eyes intently glued on the Quidditch Pitch.

'_A Bludger,' _Hermione thought distractedly, still zooming away from the other Gryffindors. _'I must be careful.' _

"HERMES, LOOK OUT!"

The brunette whipped around, surprised by Blaise's sudden outburst. But just then, a Bludger came hurtling towards Hermione and she did not have any time to dodge it. It had hit her squarely on the chest and was completely knocked off from her broom, releasing the Quaffle in the process.

"Hermes!" was Teddy's distinctive call as Hermione fell and fell and fell…

'_This is it,' _she wryly thought. _'Maybe I'll be using my fake grave after all.'_

Her eyes were gradually closing, unconsciousness fighting to take over her senses. But just then, she somehow felt arms wrapping around her… possessively, if she were to describe it.

"Hold on tight," she heard him say and she did, releasing a soft sound to tell him she understood.

She heard him utter a spell under his breath… a spell she couldn't decipher at all.

And soon, she finally succumbed to darkness.

**

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**

"Hmm…" she groaned, slowly opening her eyes. Hermione blinked three times, frowning as she noticed the brightly lit ceiling. _'My room's darker,' _she thought, clutching her head to cease its throbbing. _'I don't feel so good,' _she moaned inside her head and tried to sit up, but only failed in the end.

"Austen, you awake?"

"Hmm…" the brunette once again, directing her blurred eyes towards the source of the sudden voice.

"Don't 'hmm' me, mister," was the snarled reply. "Are you awake?"

Hermione scowled, her headache worsening. "No, I'm not. So leave me alone," she spat back.

"That's not how you talk to your savior, you bloody nuisance," he replied back. Judging from the voice and his _fond _pet name for her, Hermione instantly recognized Draco Malfoy. She shook her head to try to clear her bleary eyes and soon, her eyes were focused on her Slytherin roommate.

She immediately noticed the bandage wrapped around his immaculate blond hair. She pointedly noticed that he was_ shirtless_, with bandages also wrapped around his torso. And of course, Malfoy's usual expression wouldn't be complete if he did not have a scowl on his face.

Hermione looked away from him, racking her brain to remember why he, of all people, was accompanying her in the Hospital Wing. She knew that she had a Quidditch accident, knocked off from her broom by a hurtling Bludger from Jimmy Peakes. She also remembered warm arms wrapping around her body… _"Hold on tight"…_

Her eyes widened, realization dawning. She slowly looked back at her 'savior', as what Malfoy called himself, and stared. He, on the other hand, seemed to notice her sudden remembrance and flashed his infamous Malfoy smirk. "Remember now?" he asked.

"But… but… how… you…" she sputtered, unable to form coherent words. Draco's eyebrows rose in amusement and she shook her head to clear her meddled mind. "I… umm… what happened with the game?"

His smirk disappeared, a small grimace now on his face. "Obviously," he said, "we _lost_. Austen, the Seeker got _injured_. Slytherin got disqualified, hence, Gryffindor won by default. It's in the rules."

She frowned, eyes firmly glued on her thin infirmary blanket. Guilt bubbled at the pit of her stomach. _'If I just focused more,' _she forlornly thought, taking a quick peak at the captain of the team. But then again, Malfoy was the reason why she got _distracted_. If only he did not stupidly flash his _genuine _smile, then Hermione wouldn't be distracted.

Her cheeks furiously inflamed, remembering the rare smile she witnessed on Draco Malfoy's face.

She absentmindedly rubbed them to cool them down, her eyes once again shyly on the blond beside her bed. "I'm…"

"Sorry?" he butted in, cutting her off her sentence. "You're about to say you're sorry, right?"

"And…"

"Thank you," he finished off for her, an annoyed scowl on his handsome face. "Austen, that's so typical of you. You've said the exact same things when I saved you from those hags." He fell silent for a moment, his emotions conflicting.

"I don't even know why I saved you!" he suddenly hollered. Hermione involuntarily flinched. "I mean… that was an _idiotic _thing for me to do. I could have _died_, for Merlin's sake. But no, I stupidly jumped off my broom to cushion your fall and I…"

He bristled, seemingly at lost for words. Hermione watched him for a moment, mild amusement on her face. "You… you… it's _your _fault!" he blamed, an accusatory finger pointed at her direction.

Hermione looked affronted. "My fault? I was…"

"No, no, I'm _wrong_," he confessed, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "It's _my _fault. From the first moment I've seen you, I knew I should loathe you. You're a… an _accident prone_! A bloody _danger magnet_. You're a pain-in-the-arse and a _nuisance_. I should have avoided you, though it was quite hard seeing that both Blaise and even Theo took a liking to you. So, what was I _thinking _when I made you Chaser for _my _team? It was an idiotic thing for me to do."

The brunette was openly scowling now. "A… a _danger magnet_?" she spat back, crossing her arms. "Well, breaking news, mister, you seemed to be _magnetized _by my being a _danger magnet_. I think you should realize that now."

And realized it he did because he grew quiet, a contemplating look on his face. "You're right," he sighed, breaking his silence. "You're _absolutely _right. That's why I…" He faltered, a troubled look on his face. "_Bah_, this is getting annoying, Austen. Would you believe that I'm not _getting _angry anymore? I'm just… _annoyed_, not entirely _furious_. Oh Merlin, I actually knew that something _bad _would happen during the game because you _were _there!"

"Is that supposed to comfort me?" she thundered back.

To her _utmost _surprise, Draco Malfoy released a brief chuckle. And he was wearing that _stupid _smile that started it all. Hermione cursed herself for staring… faltering as she watched in interest at the miniscule smile on his face. A voice at the back of her head told her that she saw Draco Malfoy smile _twice _within the span of approximately five hours and it was all because of her. An unwanted blush splashed both of her cheeks and she looked away.

"You…" he started, his smile diminishing replaced by a serious look on his face. "You… I've never met anyone like you before, Hermes Austen. I actually think you're an interesting… _being_."

Hermione frowned, about to retort something back, when suddenly the infirmary door burst open. Both the brunette and Draco looked at the door in surprise, only to see an _extremely _worried Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini bustling in.

To the disguised Slytherin's surprise, both of her roommates crowded around her bed, voicing out their worry through their frantic question.

"Are you all right, Hermes? I mean, seriously? You've… you've bloody _fallen _from the sky! And, oh Merlin, I seriously thought you've injured yourself badly. I actually thought that you might have… might have… might have… _died_!" That came from Teddy's mouth.

Blaise, on the other hand, was extra calmer, although his eyes showed his great worry for the brunette. "Are you all right?" he questioned, bending down to level with her eyes. "Merlin, you made us so worried! Don't do that ever again." And to make his worry more known, he placed a comforting hand on her head and gently ruffled her short hair, his cool mask breaking and his face contorting into genuine worry.

Hermione looked at both Slytherins, a smile on her face. "You, guys…" she started, looking at both with secret fondness. "I'm perfectly fine. Look." She gestured at her whole body. "I mean, I broke a few bones here and there. Got some minor scratches… But I'm perfectly fine and healthy."

Teddy flashed an enormous grin whilst Blaise released a great sigh of relief.

"Hello, I was injured, too," was Draco Malfoy's announcement, making his presence known to his best friends.

The carefree Slytherin gave him a mocking glare. Blaise, on the other hand, rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, we know," Teddy said dismissively. "But you've been injured _countless _times, I'm sure you're so sick of our presence. And besides, you just made us realize that you are a total _idiot_, Draco Malfoy. You had the nerve to jump off the sky to _save _someone's life. You think that's _heroic_, huh? What are you? A bloody _Gryffindor_?"

Draco scowled at Teddy, who returned it by immaturely sticking out his tongue. Blaise softly chuckled and strode towards Draco's bed.

To Hermione's surprise, he poked his bandaged head none-too-gently and Draco released a soft yelp of pain.

"Ow, what the hell?" he demanded, glaring at the Italian.

Blaise then poked his injury on his torso and once again, he voiced out his pain.

"Ow… OW! Stop it!" he cried, slapping away Blaise's hand.

"That's for making us worry, you idiot," he answered back whilst Teddy strode towards Draco's bed and playfully smacked his head.

Hermione watched on her bed as the two made fun of the scowling blond and unconsciously smiled. Although they were outwardly _fooling around_, it was glaringly obvious that they were worried _sick _for Draco, too.

The brunette then realized that maybe their bond of friendship was strong, after all. Heck, she even thought that maybe their bond of friendship was _as _strong _as _her friendship with both Harry and Ron.

"Excuse me, no visitor's allowed!" Madam Pomfrey emerged from her office, her hands placed firmly against her waist.

Teddy and Blaise sheepishly looked at her, slowly standing up from Draco's bed.

"Out! OUT!" the nurse cried, shooing the two with her hands. "The patients need to rest. And goodness, did I just see you _jab_ Mister Malfoy's wounds, Mister Zabini?"

Blaise was a perfect picture of calmness. "Of course not, Madam Pomfrey," he calmly stated. "Why would I do that to an injured patient?"

Teddy laughed, immediately covering it into a cough upon seeing Blaise's icy glare. Hermione hid her smile behind her hand and almost laughed aloud upon hearing Draco softly curse the Italian.

Madam Pomfrey then sighed. "All right, then please go back to your dormitories. Like what I've said, the patients need rest. Now, off you go!"

Teddy bid them a cheerful goodbye just before the two bustled out of the infirmary. Soon, the three were the only people left in the room.

Madam Pomfrey first went to Hermione's bed, seeing that she was the less injured of the two. She checked her broken ribs and such. It would have been handy for her to make Hermione shirtless, but then again, she knew about her secret and it would be _too dangerous _if she did so.

She then went towards Draco's bed, shaking her head at the red splotches on his head. "Your wound opened up once again, Mister Malfoy," she told him.

"Hmm… I wonder why," was his reply, subtle sarcasm oozing out of his voice. Unable to help it, Hermione released a soft chuckle.

The Hogwarts nurse looked at her in surprise. "Is there something wrong, Mister Austen?" she inquired.

Hermione immediately shook her head. "There's nothing wrong, Madam Pomfrey," she assured the medi-witch. "None at all."

"Hmm…" she thoughtfully replied, looking back at Draco to check his other wounds. Once she was done, she gave Draco a goblet filled with a cool, sticky substance. "A Sleeping Draught," she said, "it'll be good for you if you fall asleep already, Mister Malfoy."

The blond obeyed and drank the potion, making a sour face in the process. Soon, the contents were finished and Draco was dozing on his bed.

Madam Pomfrey then looked at Hermione, a stern look on her face. "I think it's best if you sleep, too, Miss Granger," she softly told, in case someone was there to hear.

Hermione nodded and closed her eyes.

And that night, she dreamt of smiles, arms, and the words _'Hold on tight'_.

**

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**Review Responses: **

**dmlainey: **You're really sure Blaise likes Hermione? As in, really, really _sure_? Haha, I'm messing around with you but I won't tell the answer. As for the identity of the person who puts the tulips on top of Hermione's grave, I won't be telling either. You're right, he or _she _will be revealed soon, don't worry. Anyway, thanks for your lovely review!

**Nicconicco: **You really think Blaise's date was with Hermione? You do realize I won't answer that question, right? _Right_? Haha, don't worry, you'll know the answer after a few more chapters (well, I guess). Haha, I adored the locker room scene, too! It was one of the funniest I'd written for this story. As for your request, I'm really sorry but I can only really update once a week. I'm a busy bee and well, Thursday's the only perfect day for updating since I go home from school earlier than usual. I devote Saturdays for finishing schoolwork and doing advance readings. During Sundays, I rest and spend time with my family so you see, I really can't. Well, maybe once summer comes, I can update twice a week (or even thrice, if I'm inspired). Anyway, thanks for your lovely review!

**Tiny Cherie: **Eh, many people are already assuming that Blaise has a crush on Hermione. Does he _really_? Haha, thanks for your review! Please review the next time.

**Tenma94: ***Sigh* It seems like Blaise's always saving Hermione, yeah? Hmmm, I wonder why. Thanks for your great review!

**BittyBlueEyes: **Glad to know that you get all excited every time I update! And yeah, the shower room scene was really hilarious. I thought so, too, after writing the whole story. Poor guy? Why's Blaise a poor guy? You really think he likes Hermione? As in, really _really _think? Gah, you'll know the answer soon, I swear. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Isabella120: **Thanks for your equally lovely review! I do update every Thursday and I hope that's what you meant as "soon". Please review the future chapters, too!

**ilfreitas: **Ha, you're like the nth person who told me that the locker room scene was hilarious! Well, I thought so, too, by the way. Will Blaise really tell Hermione he knows her secret? You do realize I'm not going to answer that question, right? You'll find out in the future, anyway. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**flamingbunnies: **Haha, the locker room scene is _wickedly _awesome, I guess. Thank Merlin Blaise came to Hermione's rescue just at the nick of time. She could have really fainted, yeah? Anyway, thanks for your review!

**sarah lectrice de hgdm: **Haha, many people thought that this chapter was funny, too. Well, I made Blaise's character in such a way that he'll be seen as a sweet, sweet guy; thus, helping Hermione. I mean, even if he knows who she truly was, he still helped her, which is undoubtedly _very _sweet. By the way, wow, that's cool, you're French! Aww, thanks for your lovely review!

**Megii of Mysteri OusStranger: **OH MY… WOW? We both picked the same name, as in Hermes Austen on Hermes only? Either way, that's still so cool! Eh, I've always liked stories when the girl disguises as a boy and all. I still have no idea why, though. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**CheshireCat23: **Haha, now that I've read your review, I actually thought so, too. Eh, but what do you expect from Teddy Nott? Aww, so far, Blaise is the hero and all but need I remind you that it's a Dramione? Soon, it will be Draco's turn! Thanks for your lovely review!

**S.: **Aww, thank you for thinking that my story is realistic. I try very, very hard, you know. Don't worry, it's a Dramione. And the genre's romance so yeah, there'll soon be more Dramione moments (GYAH! Just thinking about all of them makes me so excited, too). Thanks for your review!

**Girl-x-91: **Thank you for adoring chapter 11. Haha, I seriously adored it, too! Aww, thank you for your awesome compliment. Do you really think it's well-written *blush*. Now, you're making me blush! Don't worry, I will never, ever abandon this story. Like what I've said countless times before, the whole stories done and I'm just fixing and adding and deleting a few more things. In short, I'm still not done editing. Everything's raw and disgustingly full of errors (especially grammatical errors). You get me, right? Anyway, thanks for your lovely review!

**Anigen: **I love you, too! Well, you're awesome reviews, I mean. Haha! Well, as for your question if Blaise is going to tell Hermione about how he knows her secret and if Hermione was really his date, then you have to patiently wait for the future answers, okay? I confess that I also like Hermione and Blaise to have moments together but I can't really see them as a couple. Maybe I just got used into thinking that Hermione and Draco belong to each other (which is so damn true!) that it makes me feel all weird inside if I pair Hermione with other people other than Draco and vice versa. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Karate Chic: **There'll be more soon, I swear! I mean, good god, I have more chapters in store for all of you! Just patiently wait and before you know it, I'll be able to finish the whole story! Thanks for your lovely review. :D

**Kathy T: **Total bromance chapter, you say. I'm telling you, there'll be more bromance so brace yourself! You really think the date Blaise said was intended to really be with Hermione? Too fishy, eh. You just have to wait for the future chapters to know the answers! And gah, I totally understand you. If I were to be locked inside a room full of half-naked and *ahem* _naked _boys, I'd instantly die right there and then. Haha, anyway, thanks for your review!

**haileydelacour101: **Thank you very much. I try to make this story humorous, especially after writing that bloody depressing "11 Things". But then again, there'll still be some drama here in this story. Anyway, thanks for the review!

**tiredofschoolxxxx: **Well, breaking news, darling, this story is _loosely _based on "You're Beautiful". I think I remember claiming that in one of my author's notes and emphasizing that it's loosely based on that lovely Korean Drama. Yeah, I did characterized Taekyung in Draco but let me repeat it again, this fic is _loosely _based on that drama. There might be similar characters and scenes at the first part of the story but as the story progresses, the differences will be so glaringly obvious compared to the light-hearted "You're Beautiful". Anyway, lovely review! Thank you very much. :D

**sparkle15: ***sigh* Hermione's really one lucky girl. Blaise knows her secret but then, he never revealed it to anyway. In fact, he tried to help her in everything that she do! Aww, sweet, sweet Blaise BUT remember that this is a Dramione fic! There'll be more ridiculously adorable and insane scenes between the two protagonists so you just wait, okay? Thanks for your review!

**konchibi: **Aww, so I made you smile. That's great! I also think that this chapter is adorable. Thank you for your great review!

**bbyebiebercozoftattoo: **Blaise says thank you, too! Oh, and THANK YOU for giving my fic a chance and even reviewing! Please do review in the future chapters. :D

**darkcrystalwings: **Your suggestions pretty cool. I mean, I also have thought of giving Hermione some girl stalkers and avid fangirls but the fic would be so long. Maybe you guys will lose some interest if I were to lengthen this fic more. So, I'm sorry for that. Oh, as for your desire, you'll know in the future chapters what Draco thinks of Hermes/Hermione. I solemnly assure you. Anyway, thank you for your lovely review!

**Cinna16: **Thank you for the compliment. I sure will keep up the good work as the story progresses. Aww, and I like Blaise, too! Thank you for your review! Please review my future chapters, okay? :D

**Infatuation-x: **Haha, I very much agree with you! I, too, do not really like stories wherein Draco and Hermione would suddenly jump into lovers. I mean, come on! Where's the fun in that? I wanted to feel the sexual tension and all. XD Anyway, thank you for your lovely review – _ahem _– **reviews **since you sent me, too. :p

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**A/N: Well, that's the end of the chapter. I hope those who reviewed on the previous chapter are satisfied with my responses :D **

**Anyway, I have this random question which is not related to OaP. So, here it is – how was your prom? I mean, to those who have already experienced it. Can you tell me? Good lord, next month will be my turn to you know, doll up and dance with my prom date and I confess that I'm kind of nervous. Scratch that, I am EXTREMELY nervous. Truth be told, I still do not have a dress to wear on that day. Luckily, I already have a prom date (who's quite good-looking, mind you, lol!) So please tell me in your reviews. After this event, I think I might share some snippets of what had happened during our promenade. **

**Back to the story, what did you think? In my opinion, Draco was ridiculously adorable in this chapter, especially when his best friends came in and made fun of his, erm, **_**heroic **_**deed. Do tell in your reviews!**

**That's it for now. I'll see you next week. **

**With love,  
****2booklover4**


	13. Surprise Visitor

**Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine :D**

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the late update! I had some important business yesterday and I went hope quite late and tired already. I wasn't able to finish typing the review responses yesterday so there. It's here, anyway. I do hope that everyone will enjoy. **

**So, without further ado, I now present to you the thirteenth chapter of **_**Only a Pretense. **_**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Thirteen: Surprise Visitor**

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"Umm… Professor?"

Hermione took a peek inside the Headmaster's office. Her eyes landed on the aged man behind his desk, obviously busy as he scribbled important things on his parchment.

Dumbledore looked up from his work and smiled at the brunette. "Miss Granger, what a pleasant surprise," he greeted, placing his quill inside the ink bottle. "Please do come in."

"Umm…" she mumbled, gently closing the door. She strode towards his desk and sat down when he gestured on the chair across from him. "Ah… I'm sorry for suddenly intruding. I assume that you're busy." She timidly ruffled her hair, eyes downcast. "Uh… I should have told you through a letter or something." She paused, gulped, and then suddenly shot up from her seat. "I'm sorry! I'm going to go back next time! Please excuse me."

Hermione scuffled towards the door, her cheeks inflamed with discomfiture. Professor Dumbledore, on the other hand, stared at his obviously frazzled student in amusement.

"Miss Granger, I'm perfectly free," he said, halting Hermione in her steps. She sheepishly turned around to look at him. "Please. Do come back and sit down. Allow me to finish this letter I have to urgently send to the Minister of Magic."

"Oh no, Professor, I'll just…"

"Miss Granger," he repeated once again, a look of finality on his face. Hermione faltered and then frowned, finally following the orders of the Headmaster.

She resumed her position on the chair across from his and was silent the whole time.

It took exactly thirty minutes before Dumbledore finished writing the letter. He excused himself to seal his letter and send it off to the Minister.

When he came back, Hermione was _noticeably _nervous. "Is there something bothering you, Miss Granger?" he asked. "You were silent the whole time. And…" He looked at his watch. "It's lunchtime. I believe you are supposed to be eating in the Great Hall right now."

"Ah," she started whilst intertwining her hands. "Um… do you want me to go back?"

Dumbledore released a soft chuckle, his eyes twinkling brighter than before. "Something is obviously bothering my student. The least I can do is to listen to her," he assured. He also intertwined his fingers and placed his chin on top. "Please, if you are ready to talk, do so."

Hermione fidgeted on her seat, cursing herself for suddenly deciding to intrude into the Headmaster's office just to ask a bloody, _silly _question. She nervously bit her bottom lip, diffident eyes firmly glued on the professor. "Um… I was wondering, professor…"

"Yes, Miss Granger?" he encouraged. He voiced out his curiosity.

"Err…" She rubbed the back of her neck. "I was just wondering… what the _real _reason why Draco Malfoy changed sides was!" She said the last part in a total rush Professor Dumbledore almost did not catch it. _Almost_.

Hermione's cheeks instantly inflamed after asking her question and she looked away, embarrassed. "I… I mean, he's my roommate and all… probably an _acquaintance_? (_'Yeah right, he's so gonna kill you if he heard that.'_) And I think it's just right if I knew more about the people I deem necessary for my mission to succeed."

Dumbledore was beyond amused now, although he hid it from the brunette. "Mister Malfoy, you ask?" he said, a thoughtful look settling on his face. "Why suddenly ask that, Miss Granger?"

The brunette blushed deeper and she looked away. "Err… li-like what I've said, I think it is important to know more about the people I deem _necessary _for my mission to succeed," she repeated, a small pout now gracing her features. "I… I mean, I think it will be… um… _easier _to interact with Draco Malfoy if I know something about his… _personal life_."

"You do realize that you could have asked Mister Malfoy himself, right, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked, and smiled in amusement as Hermione bristled on her chair.

"B-but, Professor!" she stuttered aloud. "He'll be undoubtedly _furious _if I suddenly poked into his personal business. A-and besides, if he _discovered _that I know that he's a _spy _for you, he'll ask questions about where the _heck _I learned that valuable information. I will have no choice but to confess that I am Hermione Granger and that will blow my cover!"

After her little tirade, Professor Dumbledore released a soft chuckle. "Of course, I know that all," he informed.

Hermione made a face on her seat, unable to repress a glare. She respected teachers with all of her heart. After all, it was _extremely _hard to teach teenagedstudents. But sometimes, Hermione couldn't help but think that some were turning… _unbearable _at times (Just look at Professor Trelawney).

'_Is he fooling around with me?' _she asked herself, staring at Dumbledore at the corner of her eyes. _'I _swear, _he's fooling around with me.'_

"Miss Granger," he started, cutting her off her musings. The Headmaster leaned slightly forward, his eyes firmly fixed on Hermione. "Have you heard anything about Narcissa Malfoy?"

Hermione looked surprised. "Uh, Narcissa Malfoy?" she asked. Her eyebrows knitted together in contemplation. "Well… I know that she is Draco Malfoy's mother. I… haven't seen her for a while. The last time I saw her was during the Quidditch World Cup on the summer before the start of our fourth year. But that was it… I haven't heard anything about her since."

Dumbledore sighed, a small, forlorn smile on his face. "You are aware that Mister Malfoy changed sides last summer," he said. Hermione nodded in reply. "Exactly on the day he changed sides, he came to me in this school, _distressed_, to seek help."

"Did…"

"Her mother was placed under a dark curse… a curse, if not broken, will cost her life," he continued, eyes turning pensive as he reminisced that day. "It was truly a heartbreaking moment, Miss Granger. I am aware how he used to torment you and your friends before but I know that you will agree with me in saying that he's just… a _boy_. For him to have a dying mother was too much for his young heart."

Hermione kept on staring at her hands. "Who…" she said, voice cracking. She cleared her throat before continuing, "Who cursed Narcissa Malfoy?" In her heart, she had suspicion.

She heard Professor Dumbledore sigh, and then, he confirmed her guess. "Lucius Malfoy."

Silence ensued with some constant squawking from Fawkes, who was innocently perched on his branch.

"And so," Dumbledore started, breaking the silence, "I promised to help and protect both of them and he, in return, promised his loyalty. And now, he is acting as a spy for the Order of the Phoenix, alongside Professor Snape."

After the Headmaster's revelation, Hermione stayed silent to contemplate.

Somehow, she couldn't help but think that they shared one similarity. Both of them were willing to put themselves into danger, her being a disguised Slytherin and him being a spy for the Order, just so they could protect the most important people in their lives – their parents (well, in his case, his mother).

A small smile appeared on Hermione's face, not believing what she had just discovered. Maybe, her animosity towards her roommate slightly… _diminished. _

Her mind then drifted back on the time when Draco Malfoy started to boggle her. She lifted her eyes and stared straight at the Headmaster, a curious look adorning her disguised face. "Um… Professor," she started. "On the day of our last Hogsmeade day, the one where you had an appointment with Malfoy, was it something about his… mother?"

Dumbledore merely stared and Hermione realized her sudden nosiness. "Err… I'm sorry. I'm being a bit privy, now, right? It's all right if you d…"

"Yes," he said. Hermione's voice faltered and she stared back at the professor.

"Hmm… I see," was her simple reply.

* * *

'_So that's the mystery behind Malfoy's sudden change of heart, eh?' _Hermione asked herself, trudging in the Forbidden Forest.

She just ended her unexpected meeting with Dumbledore and she found herself having the sudden urge to visit her fake grave once again, just so she could be away from the startling turn of events in her life.

Her mind often drifted to Dumbledore's revelation and the blond himself. It was distressing indeed, as what Dumbledore had told her. He was right in saying that despite Malfoy's bullying nature, he was still a _boy _and for him to have a dying mother was too much for him to bear.

Hermione's mind then drifted to her parents and she was genuinely thankful they were just the way they were. She would admit that there was once a time when she couldn't help but blame them for her being a Muggle-born. That was also the time when people were still skeptical about her abilities… thinking if she was fit to be a witch or not. And so, she had proved herself by studying and striving to be crowned as the smartest witch of her age.

But her parents… they understood her anger and still forgave her. After all, that was what parents do. Hermione was so ashamed of herself and after that phase in her life, she swore that she would love her parents with all of her being and protect them from harm.

And so, on the time when Professor Dumbledore was looking for a Keeper for all of the Secrets of the Order of the Phoenix, she couldn't express the sudden fear and anxiety when her parents volunteered themselves. They had started going to the Order meetings just so they could understand more about the current situation of not only the Wizarding World but also the Muggle World. If they were well-informed, they could at least help their Muggle neighbors.

Hermione voiced out her indignation, knowing that being Keepers of Secrets was a dangerous job. Mr. Granger, the ever voice of reason, assured her that they would be fine… that _they were the last person Voldemort would think of_. And Hermione did the most idiotic thing she had ever done in her whole life – she relented. And so, she _allowed _herself to place the incantations on her parents, forever sealed from harm.

And now, look at where her stupidity and recklessness brought her – she was a bloody disguised young man named Hermes Austen and was about to visit the _fake _grave of Hermione Granger.

'_I guess my life just got messed up more than I thought_,' she said to herself. _'I mean, I knew my life would be messed up once I befriended Harry Potter… but not like this. My parents are supposed to be safe at home.'_

There it was again. That word – home.

Hermione released a rueful sigh, making a silent prayer to the mighty powers above, that at the end of all these ruckus happening in her life and her friends, she still would be able to go back to a place she could call as 'home'.

'_Does Malfoy call his grand Malfoy Manor… _home_?' _she found herself asking, frowning at the mere thought.

She had seen Lucius Malfoy countless times before and she wouldn't classify him as the 'loving and caring' father type. He was cold, even colder than his son, and Hermione wondered how he acted when he was at the Malfoy Manor together with his _so-called _wife and _so-called _son.

Hermione found herself pitying her blond roommate more. Who wouldn't after discovering that he had a dying mother cursed by his bastard father? It was depressing to think that he had to undergo such trials at a tender age of seventeen. But then again, he had been living with such a father ever since he was born and Hermione wondered if there were similar instances that happened to the teenaged boy.

Unable to repress it, a sad smile formed on her face. No matter how much she looked at the angles, they were undoubtedly _similar _in many ways. It was enough for Hermione to thank anybody that still, someone was experiencing such trials as challenging as hers. Not that she was being sadistic or something.

The brunette then shook her head, ridding of such ridiculous thoughts in her mind. She should stop wallowing in self-pity and pityingothers. There was no time for that. Her time was limited… eight and half months to be exact. She had to already start thinking about plans she would do to save her parents.

But for now, she just wanted to visit her grave.

She was nearing her said tomb and an unknowing smile graced her features. She knew that in that place, she could be whoever she wanted to be.

But then, the next thing she knew, she was standing rooted on the spot as she stared with an open mouth at the least person she expected to see, standing in front of her grave.

"Malfoy?" was her breathless greeting and her eyes widened more as the blond tensed, slowly turning around to see the new person in the area.

"Austen!" was his surprised greeting, mimicking her features. "What are you doing here?"

Hermione snapped out of her surprise and strode towards the blond, just a few feet away from him. "What are _you _doing here?" she asked back. Her eyes landed on a tulip firmly clutched on his right hand, which he hastily hid behind his back. She then averted her eyes on her grave and then placed two and two together.

Draco Malfoy was her mysterious _faithful visitor_.

"You… you…" she sputtered out, unable to suppress her astonishment. "You… you've been visiting her grave ever since?"

To her utmost surprise, he turned a terrible shade of red. "Wh-what are you talking about?" he asked with a stutter. "It's my first time to visit her grave." He nervously ruffled his hair, averting his eyes away from his roommate. "Well… maybe my second or third… but that's not the point!"

His eyes landed back on the disguised Slytherin and narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing here?" he asked once again. He inconspicuously laid the tulip on top of her fake grave, making sure she wouldn't see. Unbeknownst to him, Hermione had seen _everything_.

Once his hand was free, he defensively crossed his arms. "It's lunchtime, Austen. You're supposed to be eating in the Great Hall right now."

Her eyebrows raised in mild amusement. "Hmm… that's why it's surprising to see you in this place at lunchtime, too, Malfoy," she replied back, taking a few steps towards her fake grave. "And what the hell are you doing here? This is Hermione's grave."

She wasn't able to see the flinch he did upon hearing _her _name. "I-I'm visiting her, obviously," he replied with a slight tremor in his voice. "What do you think am I doing?"

Hermione looked at him in surprise, her eyebrows knitted in deep contemplation. "But…" she started then faltered in the end, unable to find words to finish her sentence.

"Anyway, you still haven't answered my question," he said. "What are _you _doing here?"

A lie immediately formed in Hermione's head and she looked at him squarely at the eyes. "Hermione Granger's a close friend of mine," she said. "Remember, I studied in Durmstrang and Viktor Krum's one of my closest friend, too. He introduced me to Hermione when she visited Bulgaria. After that, we stayed in contact."

He sneered. "A chummy friend of hers, aren't you?" he spat, a scowl now formed on his face.

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "And what are you to her?" she inquired. Her forehead scrunched up, feigning thoughtful. "I haven't seen a name Draco Malfoy in one of her letters before. It mostly consists of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley." She smirked upon seeing the ashamed blush on his cheeks. "Oh, wait! I remembered her mentioning one incident when she had to puncha certain _blond _during her third year."

His scowl deepened and he glared at her darkly. "Shut it," he said. "It's none of your business whatever I am to Granger."

Hermione smiled. She had sorely missed being called 'Granger', and dare she say it, especially if it was uttered by Draco Malfoy.

"Well, it's just a surprise to see you here," she said. "I mean… I never knew you'd be visiting her grave."

He abashedly rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I'm free so I thought… you know."

Silence ensued and Hermione took her time studying Draco Malfoy at the corner of her eyes.

It was a huge surprise for her to see him here, especially now that she concluded that she was her faithful visitor. _'Who would have thought?' _she mused inside.

Draco Malfoy never ceased to surprise her. Firstly, he _saved _her and not once, but _twice_. And now, she owed her life to him. If he was not there to save her from those horrendous hags, she might be a bloody sex slave and serving them with her body. If he was not the Seeker of the Slytherin Quidditch team, she would still be badly injured in the infirmary or worse… _dead_.

And now, he was surprisinglyvisiting her grave _every day_ and never forgetting to leave her favorite flower on top of her grave.

"I missed her so," she proclaimed out loud, watching to gauge any emotion from Draco. He remained perfectly emotionless. "I mean… she was such a lovely friend, a good advisor. She used to give me good advices when I have… you know… _girl problems. _And she's such an intelligent witch, too. I used to owl her to help me on some of my homework."

She darted her eyes away from the blond and stared at her grave instead. "You… do you miss her?" she asked.

He was silent for quite a while Hermione thought he wouldn't answer back at all. But what he answered shocked her to the core.

"Yes."

Her head whipped around and she stared at the blond, her mouth agape. He was staring at her grave with a strange look in his eyes. Hermione couldn't decipher it at all.

But then, he shook his head to snap out of a stupor, his cheeks instantly coloring. "I mean," he started, sounding a bit defensive. "She was a… good _entertainment _for me."

"An entertainment, you say," she said, amused.

His cheeks darkened. "She… _she's _a bloody annoying thing, if you must know," he quickly added. "Such an annoying woman and… and… she was the only _woman _in this whole school that can _properly _talk to me. If you get what I mean."

'_Oh, I do,' _she thought, a huge smile on her face. So she was like that to Draco Malfoy, huh? Not necessarily a compliment, but… for him to begrudgingly admit that she was the only bloody woman in the whole school that could properly talk to him without swooning or blushing or stuttering… well, it still meant something for Hermione.

"Annoying?" she exclaimed aloud, grinning at him. "Hermione's quite the contrary! She's… she's a good friend, you know."

"If she's not lashing out her tongue," he said. And to her surprise, she couldn't help but release a small chuckle.

Draco looked at her in amusement and shook his head. "You should have seen her bickering with some of our Housemates or mostly with me… just… _weird_."

"Weird? How so?"

"Well…" he continued, absentmindedly running a hand through his hair. "She's a _girl_…"

"And?"

"Well, it's weird for a girl to have such a sharp tongue," he concluded.

She was beaming so brightly now. "Mmm-hmm."

"Don't you 'mmm-hmm' me, Austen, just because you're a good friend of hers," he said with a glare. Hermione merely chuckled.

"If you're not a good friend of hers, how will you explain the tulip that you just placed on top of her grave?" she asked testily.

To her surprise, his blush came full blast, this time ten times darker than before.

"You know…" Hermione continued, "Tulips are her most favorite flower in the whole world."

Draco scowled, despite his burning cheeks. "It's none of your _bloody _business, Austen," he snarled. He chanced a look at his watch. "I better go… classes are about to resume." And without any further ado, he returned back to Hogwarts. Hermione watched him go, amused at his great speed.

Once he was out of her sight, she sighed and looked back at her fake grave. She stared at the tulip sitting innocently on top of her grave and a small smile grew on her face. Hermione bent down and gently grasped the tulip. She brandished out her wand and charmed it everlasting.

Hermione finally pocketed the tulip in her pocket and with one last forlorn look on her fake grave, she swiveled around and returned back to Hogwarts.

* * *

The brunette stretched her arms as she walked inside Great Hall, thankful that the last class for the day had finally ended. Her stomach had been complaining to her for _ages_, having skipped lunch, and she was excited to finally eat her dinner.

She spotted Blaise and Teddy (with the help of Teddy's enthusiastic waving of hand) and she smiled, approaching their place. Teddy and Blaise sat side-by-side, and so, she had no choice but to sit across from them, just in front of Teddy.

"Where were you a while ago?" Teddy inquired as soon as Hermione sat on the bench. "We were waiting for you to arrive. Did… something happened?"

Hermione nonchalantly shrugged, already gathering food on her plate. "I had an urgent meeting with Dumbledore," she smoothly lied. "It's something about my adjustment in Hogwarts and how I am coping with the new curriculum. That's all."

She ate her steak a bit greedily, although making it a point to still have manners.

"Draco was not here during lunch, too," Blaise pointed out.

"Oh, he was with me," Hermione added.

The Italian raised an eyebrow. "He was?" he asked, sounding a bit skeptical.

"Yeah," she replied back. "We had a… _talk_."

"Really now?" Blaise asked, his skepticism heightening.

Hermione's fork paused mid-air, realizing what she had just said. Her cheeks colored and a sheepish smile formed on her face, slightly embarrassed. "We-well," she started with a stutter, "he… needed to meet with Dumbledore, too, so we met on the way. Though, I don't know what they talked about."

A thoughtful look merely settled on Blaise's face as he returned back to his meal.

"Oh, by the way, Hermes!" Teddy exclaimed, diverting Hermione's attention to him. "I just want to say that you were awesome during our Transfiguration class. I mean, that spell was seriously challenging but you were able to do it on your first try!"

"Come on, Teddy," Hermione said, beaming because of pride. "You did well during our Transfiguration class, too! You were able to do the spell on your second try, and that was still saying something."

The brunette returned to her meal, unable to see the sudden blush that splashed on the Slytherin's cheek.

Teddy puffed his cheeks, a proud smile gradually growing on his face, as he rubbed his neck in embarrassment. "Not as good as you," he mumbled under his breath, absentmindedly poking his flaming cheeks.

Just then, their blond roommate came in, hiding his face behind his Potions book. He gestured Hermione to scoot a little to the right without looking up from his book. Amused, Hermione followed him and watched as Draco plopped down beside him. He grabbed the nearest food he could get, which was an apple, and started munching it.

"Aren't you going to eat properly?" Blaise asked, an amused smile on his face.

Draco dismissively shook his hand. "I'm too busy," he replied back. His eyes were still firmly glued on his book. "I still haven't finished doing my Potions essay that's due tomorrow and I can't finish it later because I have a Quidditch Captain meeting with the other captains and Madam Hooch."

From beside him, Hermione snorted.

The blond averted his gaze away from his book to Hermione for the first time. "Getting cheeky now, are you, Austen?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hermione merely frowned and went back into eating.

"Ignoring me now?" he asked with a scoff. "Just because not everybody enjoys doing their homeworks earlier than the due date doesn't mean you can laugh at them." His eyes narrowed whilst an idea dawned on him. "Wait, since I saved your life _twice _and you owed me your bloody life, then as a partial payment, you do my Potions homework!"

The brunette looked indignant, a small glare now seen on her face. "That's cheap, Malfoy!" she spat back, absentmindedly plucking a grape from a fruit bowl and hurtling it towards the blond. It had hit him squarely on his forehead.

"Why you - ! You bloody nuisance!"

As the two continued to bicker, Teddy directed his frowning face towards Blaise. "They seemed to be getting along already, yeah?" he asked. "After Hermes' accident, Draco seemed to be a lot less… hostile."

Blaise only nodded his head.

And for some twisted reason, he felt apprehensive… how come?

* * *

**Review Responses: **

**Tiny Cherie: **Gay!Draco… let me think about that *evil laugh* - ahem -… Anyway, aww, I perfectly understood your feeling upon reading the part wherein Blaise started to jab Draco's wound. XD I mean, men do not really like to show their true feelings, yeah? Especially to their guy friends (since some people might think they swing the other way *wink* *wink*). But I thought it was adorable for Blaise to show his _brotherly _love to Draco. After all, love hurts… crap, that was a bad joke. Haha. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**CheshireCat23: **No worries! Draco was asleep when Madam Pomfrey called her by her first name. And besides, the two Slytherins were the only ones in the infirmary. Hmm… but you're actually right. Haha, I guess I'm being reckless. Anyway, thanks for your lovely review!

**Voldyismyfather: ***Bows* Thank you for thinking that this story is actually good. And oh, are you trying to squeeze out some information from me? You will know when, how, and where Blaise will tell Hermione that he knows someday… or will he even tell her? Ooh, the suspense is killing me. Oh wait, I am the author. Of course I know when! Hahaha, I'm sorry. I'm just messing around with you. On a more serious note, I'm telling you that I'll reveal the answer to your question someday. Don't worry. I want to satisfy my readers and not leave them frustrated and all. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**wolfsong12: **Aww, I try to make Draco canon-like, you know. Good god, his bad boy habits were the reason why I fell in love with him in the first place (well, fell in love with the idea of him being with Hermione, I mean). But I'm warning you, there were times in my story when I wanted to act him ridiculously adorable to the point of being a little… un-Draco-like. So, yeah. As for your question, of course it's Dramione! The shipping thing says so. So sorry for making it a little "agonizingly slow". I do want a slow progress, you know. Enemies to acquaintances to friends to best friends then finally to lovers. I do enjoy stories wherein their relationship is gradually growing so I wanted to write one myself. OH, and thank you for the compliment. I do know that there are so many stories out there with the same idea as mine – disguise Hermione, put her into the Slytherin House, and then make her fall in love with Draco. I know, I know, it's very cliché, but the details do matter to me. I'm a detail-freak, to tell you the truth. I wanted to have things that differ from other stories, so there… WOOH, I got carried away responding to you. See, it's quite long! Haha, thanks for the awesome review!

**Nicconicco: **Haha, in love already? You think so… bleh, I'm not gonna answer that either. Haha, I'm sorry for messing up with you. You have so many theories; they're actually making me laugh. And you think Teddy's gay? You really think so? As in, really, _really _think? A hundred percent sure? HAHAHA, here I go again. Sorry, can't help it. I'm in a good mood and I feel like messing around with everyone. Aww, but it made me go "aww" when you said that you'll accept Teddy whatever his gender is. I mean, come on, he's TOO cute to hate. Well, that's my opinion :D Haha, anyway, thanks for the lovely review!

**Isabella120: **Thank you, I actually thought that chapter 12 was so far the best chapter. Haha, "hold on tight" was just a spur-of-the-moment. I was thinking of something Draco could say and _BAM! _"Hold on tight was born". Do _you _think Draco knows? What do _you _think? Haha, thanks for reviewing!

**fantasia-49: **Thank you for loving last chapter. Oh, I'm always right, darling *conscience smacked me for being too egotistical* Haha, sorry, sorry. I told you Blaise having a crush on Hermione was too simple… or is it really? What do you think? Anyway, thanks for the review!

**bbyebiebercozoftattoo: **Haha, I loved that part, too! Blaise was just being too cute. Eh, but Draco will always be number one in my heart. Also, Draco couldn't think of anything to call Hermes Austen and I guess "being" was the first thing that came up into his mind. Goodness, maybe he thought she was an alien in disguise who came down from earth to spread its klutziness. Oh well XD Thank you for your review!

**Rosita: **Haha, it _really _is based on a Korean Drama. I've said it twice already, you know. This story is based on "You're Beautiful" and Blaise's and Teddy's characteristics are basically from the two members of the band :D But this story is _loosely _based, I tell you. There will be scenes that were similar but that's all. The whole idea and plot are mine. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**flamingbunnies: **I know right! Sweet!Draco always make my heart melt *Swoon* As for the prom thing, it's sad that you had a date that has a girlfriend. Yeah, well, I know it's not bad and all but it's kinda awkward, don't you think? Especially if his girlfriend is also in that particular dance (oh the horror). Thank goodness my prom date's single. Nobody will come bashing me XD Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Lalia x: **Haha, your first feeling was absolutely right! Draco is really the one who puts the tulips on Hermione's grave. Well, you're one of the few who thought so, too. As for your second feeling, you really think Draco knows Hermes Austen's true identity? As in, really, really? Haha, you just have to wait for my future updates, then. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Cinna16: **I loved the first scene, too! Harry was as usual being an awesome best friend. True friends laugh at each other's mistakes, you know. Well, in my opinion. That's what my friends and I do. But we do love each other, anyway. Gah, so you don't know if you're Team Blaise or Team Draco, huh? I'll be Draco's fan, through and through, by the way. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Infatuation-x: **Don't worry, darling, my chapters will be longer and longer as the story progresses. My longest, all in all, is Chapter Thirty-Two! XD I'm so sorry, I can't really update twice a week. Updating during Thursdays is very hard too, you know. But I'll try my best as soon as summer approaches! Wooh, two and half more months and I'm done with my junior year! By the way, thank you for your tips for prom. I do want to look good during prom. I mean, it's once in a life time and it's very rare for me to doll up and all. But, I don't really care about what other people think. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**jtrem: ***Blushes* Thank you for the compliments. I feel awesome every time a reviewer of mine tells me I'm a talented writer. Thank you, I try really hard. Writing is my passion and although it's being stifled in school (I hate writing stuff for school, I swear), I still practice and all. I'll keep going, don't worry. Again, I've finished the whole story! I'm just not done editing it. Anyway, thank you for the review!

**Karate Chic: **My readers reviews always brighten my day, too, you know :D. I do love Harry, too. I kinda find the canon Harry a little brooding and gloomy. I get the fact that so many bad things happened to him and blah blah blah. But still, so gloomy! Although I also like him in the original story, I love my version better. Haha, Draco saving Hermione was just too cute, don't you think? Who knew even he has a Gryffindor side in him. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Kathy T: **Aww, I do love Harry in my story! I actually want a guy best friend that's like him! And Hermione slowly falling for Draco's smile… hmm, I wonder *wink* *wink*. Hahaha, Draco thinking he's slowly swinging the other way is so cute XD. I wonder if I included it in my story. Ooh, I'm playing some mind games. So sorry for messing around, lol! Isn't it awesome, I'm making you thinner through my stories! Yay for laughing! As for your prom tip, I was actually thinking of wearing flats. I mean, come on, I know wearing heels is prettier and all but my comfort always comes first. Anyway, thank you for your review!

**Anigen: **Yup, Dramione will always be number one in my heart. I do love Dramionaise (cracks me up just typing that name) love triangle but Hermione should always end up with Draco! Eh, truth be told, I kinda rushed the Quidditch match scene because I was so excited to type the next scene, which was the infirmary one. XD Uh-huh, Blaise is acting so much like a big brother/protector and all. He kinda said that on the chapter where Hermione was almost turned into a sex slave, you know. And Draco drawn to Hermes Austen? That's an interesting thought. You just have to wait for my updates to know the answer, yeah? Thanks for your review!

**HotelRoomService: **Patience, darling, patience. Hermione will turn into her true self, which is a girl, once in a while. You just have to wait. Although, I'm nowhere near that scene. Just wait, okay? Haha, thanks for your review!

**SHChevalier: **I _adored _the subtle moment between the two, too. Draco can be so sweet, who would have thought? As for your prom suggestion, that's awesome you enjoyed! I do have a prom date already so I can't go stag. I just hope that nothing will be awkward between us during that time. Anyway, thank you for your review!

**Fawzie: **Thank you for loving my story *GRINS*. Gay!Draco is a funny image. I can't stop laughing just thinking about him being gay. The answer to your question ("Is Draco going gay or something?") will be revealed soon. Just patiently wait, okay? Don't worry, there will be some chapters/scenes wherein it will be his point-of-view. It's mostly Hermione's since she's the primary protagonist. Anyway, thank you for your review!

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**A/N: Wooh, a whopping twenty review responses! I do hope that I answered some of your questions… well, I try my best to answer them. I hope you liked this chapter! Ha, I bet many of you cried a resounding "I KNEW IT!" when it was revealed that Draco's Hermione's mysterious tulip-giving visitor. *Grin* I do wonder why he gives the tulips, though. **

**Anyway, thanks for all those who gave me some pieces of advice regarding prom! I actually can't wait and have fun. **

**That's all for now, I guess. I'm not going to be that busy next week so expect an update Thursday, next week. **

**With love,  
****2booklover4**


	14. Gender Confusion

**Disclaimer: Still not mine :p**

**A/N: Woot, the fourteenth chapter is here! Meh, I don't really have anything to say so just start reading, 'kay? Enjoy and do review afterwards!**

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**Chapter Fourteen: Gender Confusion**

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_Teddy looked up into the sky, shielding his eyes to protect them from the sun's glaring light. _

_It was a one fine day and Teddy found himself enjoying the good weather. The birds were chirping merrily; the flowers dancing with the breeze. The wind constantly played with him, tousling his hair in the process. The temperature was well – not too hot nor cold. _

_Everything was so carefree… just the way the Slytherin liked it. _

"_Teddy!" a voice cried and he whipped around, searching for the melodic voice. "Oh Teddy, you came!" And the next thing he knew, he was enveloped into a warm and tender embrace. The carefree Slytherin found himself embracing the person back, tighter. _

_Her arms were soft and smooth; her stature petite and slim. Her calming nature brought comfort for the seventeen-year-old and he soon found himself closing his eyes, drawing the unnamed lady closer into his arms. _

"_Do you want to dance, Teddy?" she whispered, her lips mere inches away from his right ear. The Slytherin shivered in delight, unconsciously taking in her smell – sweet vanilla and almond. He nodded enthusiastically and allowed her to encircle her arms around his neck and he, on the other hand, placed his arms around her slender waist. _

_Soft music was heard as they started to sway with the music. An unconscious smile gradually grew on Teddy's face as more minutes passed by. He placed his chin on top of her head and he soon noticed that her hair was cut short, but Teddy did not mind at all. _

_The sweet moment ended too soon as the mysterious girl pulled away from his hug. Teddy opened his eyes in indignation, wanting to pull her closer to himself, but the girl merely giggled. _

"_I'll be right back," she whispered, placing a light kiss on his cheek. As soon as she walked away, a furious blush crept on his face. _

"_Where am I?" he asked aloud, absentmindedly rubbing the spot where the girl had kissed him. "Who are you?" _

_He looked around and was astonished to see that the scene had changed. He now found himself standing in the middle of an abandoned meadow, sunflowers growing around. A pleased, yet perturbed smile grew on his face. After all, sunflowers were his favorite flower – they were a happy and carefree flower. _

_Teddy started to walk around. But then, he tripped on a small, protruding root ("Where the hell did that come from?") and he toppled, his rear end making a contact with the ground. _

_He frowned, amused that his bottom didn't smart in pain. _

"_Are you all right, love?" _

'That voice again,' _he told himself. "Where are you? _Who _are you?" _

"_I'm right behind you, Teddy," was her mere reply. _

_Teddy whipped behind and indeed, the mysterious lady was behind him. He stood up immediately, confusion clearly etched on his face. "Who are you?" he repeated once again. "What…" _

"_Shh," she whispered, placing a gentle hand against his cheek. Teddy once again furiously blushed and the girl giggled upon feeling the sudden heat on his cheek. "Are you happy, Teddy?" _

_He blinked, a little terrified to realize that her soothing voice made him more drawn to her. "Yes," was his truthful answer.  
_

"_Do you want to leave my side?" she asked, this time clutching both of his cheek. _

_He blinked faster, trying to decipher the face of the girl in front of him. All he could see was a blur. "No," he answered. "No, I don't want to leave you." _

_A gorgeous smile graced her features, or so he believed. "Good," she said. "Because I love you and I don't you to leave my side, Teddy." _

_His eyes widened, surprised at the mysterious lady's confession. "Who are you?" he asked once again. "Who are you?"_

"_Oh, you know me, Teddy," she said. "You know me very well." _

_To his surprise, the hazy blur was starting to dissipate. He could clearly see her eyes already… they were eerily familiar. _

"_Teddy?" she inquired. _

_He soon saw her cute, button nose and he realized they were familiar, too. _

"_Teddy?" _

_Her lips were soon seen and Teddy's eyes slowly grew into wide saucers. He knew that face. _

"_Teddy?" _

_His jaw dropped, horror filling his gut. Merlin, the mysterious person in front of him was no lady! _

"_Teddy? Teddy?" _

"_Oh shit," he whispered under his breath, pulling away from the person. "Shit… Hermes? Wh-what are you doing here?" _

"_Teddy?"_

"_THEO?"_

"THEODORE NOTT!"

Teddy bolted up from his bed. A scream of terror escaped from his mouth and he gasped, sweat trickling down his neck.

"Merlin, Theo, you sleep like a log," Blaise commented, an amused look on his face. "Are you all right? You seemed… horrified."

The carefree Slytherin whimpered under his breath, absentmindedly brushing sweat off his forehead. "I-I'm fine," he said before gulping. "I just had a… a nightmare." He shivered upon remembering his dream.

Blaise continued to look amused. "Well, for your information, classes will start after ten more minutes. If you don't make haste, you'll be the receiving end of Professor McGonagall's wrath."

"WHAT?" he exclaimed, jumping off his bed. "Ugh, why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

"I tried to," Blaise answered, "but you seemed like you're enjoying your dream." He raised an eyebrow. "Pray tell, what was your dream?"

Teddy halted in his steps, his cheeks instantly inflaming. _'My dream?' _he thought. Teddy had dreamt a lot of things before and half of them were immediately forgotten once he woke up. But the dream he had last night was different; everything that had happened was still vivid in his mind.

"Err… you have seven more minutes to go so be quick, Blaise! I'll see you in Transfiguration!" And with that, he disappeared behind their bathroom.

Blaise stared at the closed bathroom door in confusion, surprised at how fidgety Teddy was. "Oh well," he said, shrugging dismissively, before turning around and running towards the Transfiguration classroom.

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Teddy walked towards the Great Hall, depressed and hungry. A small pout graced his features and people who usually saw him were so surprised with his sudden change of demeanor.

The usual warm aura surrounding the Slytherin was gone, replaced by a miserable cloud hovering above his head. Even people he despised, those people he did not allow to call him 'Teddy', were surprised with his sudden change of attitude.

When some people inquired, he blamed it on hunger. He reasoned that he was not able to eat his breakfast that was why his energy was very low. And they believed him when in actuality, his dream last night was bothering him immensely.

The carefree Slytherin had no idea whether to call it a sweet dream or a nightmare. He believed that nightmares contained monsters and such horrendous things and his last night dream never contained any. And a sweet dream? It was _far _from it.

Teddy's misery became more evident as he entered the Great Hall. A few Slytherins nearby greeted him a cheerful 'hello', which he only returned by a mere glance.

He continued to stride towards his usual place in the Slytherin table, ignoring the looks of curiosity from his Housemates. _'Oh to hell with all of you!' _he exclaimed in his mind.

"Oi, Teddy!"

The troubled Slytherin froze on the spot, his eyes immediately widening into huge saucers. He reluctantly looked up and was met by the worried look of the reason of his misery. His blood instantly ran cold and to his horror, he couldn't move at all.

"Theo, are you all right?" Blaise asked, his look mirroring Hermione's. "You've been… _out of character _the whole day. And don't tell me about you not eating breakfast. I've known you for years and you know that I won't believe that lie."

"Err…" he started, his eyes still firmly fixed on the disguised Slytherin. "I…" To his horror, his cheeks started to inflame.

"_Do you want to leave my side?... Good, because I love you and I don't want you to leave my side." _

He released an audible whimper, this time averting his eyes away from Hermione. "I… I'm not hungry at all and I'm going to look for Draco, okay? So don't look for me anymore." He turned around without any farewell at all and dashed towards the double oak-wooden doors.

Blaise stood up to call out for him but before he could even stop his best friend, Teddy was out of the Hall. "What the heck is wrong with that bloke?" he muttered under his breath, sitting down once again. "He's acting weird." He made a face and frowned. "Ah, seriously."

Hermione looked at Blaise with a frown of her own. "I… I have this feeling that Teddy's avoiding me," she announced. The Italian looked at her questioningly. "Erm… I mean, I haven't talked to him the whole day. Didn't you notice? In Transfiguration, he sat amongst the Hufflepuffs. Isn't that weird? Yeah, they maybe a cheerful House but still…" Hermione paused and shook her head, her hair bouncing in the process. "Did I do something wrong again? I can't remember offending Teddy."

The Italian looked at the distressed brunette and gently smiled. "Oh, leave him alone for a while," he advised. "Theo's one weird guy. He's immature, remember? And if you are right and he's avoiding you, then why not settle in apologizing to him the childish way? It's effective, after all."

The disguised Slytherin contemplated Blaise's suggestion for a while before releasing a tired sigh. "Yeah, you're right," she agreed. "I might as well start collecting sweets again, yeah?"

All Blaise did was to chuckle.

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Draco stood up to return the books he had borrowed, scowling at how uninformative some were. His scowl deepened upon hearing the scraping of the chair across from him. Teddy had mimicked his actions and had followed him, a miserable look visible on his face.

The blond had returned all of the books first and grabbed a few more before swiveling around and giving his best friend a pointed look. "Is there something wrong, Nott?" he asked, striding back to his table, Teddy in tow.

The carefree Slytherin merely whimpered and whined, this time sitting down on the chair beside Draco.

His best friend released an annoyed noise behind the back of his throat. It was no use studying and accomplishing his school work now that someone was obviously pestering him. Draco grimaced, realizing that he was wasting precious time.

He then shifted on his seat, his body now fully facing Teddy. Now that he was looking at him properly for the first time, he had noticed the distinctive changes on his usual cheerful best friend. There were dark bags under his eyes; his lips curved into a deep pout. His usually fixed hair was disheveled.

All in all, Draco concluded that Theodore Nott looked _pathetic_.

"What is it now?" he said after a tired sigh.

Teddy only looked at him, his pout deepening.

"Stop giving me those looks, Theo," he snarled, his annoyance increasing. "Just tell me what's bothering you so that you'll leave me alone and I can continue studying."

Teddy was having the telltale signs of a problematic him. Draco had known him for years and his actions clearly showed that he was extremely bothered by something. It was annoying how he used to follow him around, wearing the same miserable look on his face. At first, he told him to 'piss off' and find another person to console him (since there were a lot of more than willing people) but Teddy refused and stayed by his side. After that, Draco just got used to his constant following and he had no choice but to listen to his problems (most were undoubtedly _petty_) and do his best to give him an advice.

"Well?" Draco asked, an eyebrow raised and his arms crossed against his chest.

If it was probable, Teddy's dejected look worsened. He hid his face behind his hand and moaned. "Oh, I want to tell you so much, Draco! But I can't!" he whined, muffled by his hand. "It's… it's… it's complicated! I don't even know how to explain it." He removed his hands away from his face and stared at Draco. "I don't know what to do, Draco… I don't fucking know why I am bloody feeling this way."

He placed a hand over his chest, just above his heart, and continued to whine. "This is so… weird! What am I going to do?" He was pleading now, his hands tightly clutched on the blond's arm. "Please tell me what to do!"

Draco rolled his eyes at his best friend's melodrama. "How can I help you when I don't have a clue what you are talking about?" he said.

"It's embarrassing!" he whispered in exclamation. "Truly embarrassing, Draco! And I have a feeling you'd condemn me forever if you discovered this… this devastating secret of mine."

The blond closed his eyes, counted from one to ten, before releasing a huge gush of breath. "Let me guess," he started, slowly opening his eyes. "Girl problems?"

To his surprise, Teddy turned into a terrible shade of red. His hands on his arm were slowly slackening. "Girl problems?" he asked, almost breathless. His blush increased ten-fold. "O-of course, girl problems! Ha ha, are you accusing me of something? I will never, ever, ever like a…" He faltered and looked away, his cheeks still flaming red.

Draco had narrowed his eyes in suspicion, although he still couldn't get the reason of Teddy's sudden hysteria. A few minutes had passed and Teddy's cheeks were still inflamed. Draco glanced at his watch and sighed, shaking his head.

"Well, it's obvious that you won't tell me your problem," he said. He inserted his hand inside the pocket of his trousers and fished out a Chocolate Frog. He opened it and offered it to his frazzled friend. "Here, eat this. This will make you feel better."

Teddy gingerly grabbed the chocolate from Draco's hand and placed it inside his mouth. The delectable food melted inside his tongue and for a minute, his eyes lit up in delight. Draco had noticed this and shook his head. Trust Theodore Nott to be so overjoyed over a piece of candy.

But then, the miserable looked settled back on Teddy's face.

Draco ran a hand through his hair and grabbed his abandoned parchment. "Anyway, I won't force you to spill out your problem," he said. "So can I do my homework now?" At the corner of his eyes, he saw Teddy nod. "Good… now, have you seen Hermes? He said he's going to fin-."

"DON'T SAY HIS NAME!"

The blond looked at the hysterical Slytherin. Teddy was standing up now, his chair lying flat on the ground. Teddy's hands were balled into tight fists and he was breathing in loud gasps.

"Shhh!" was Madam Pince's strict reminder. Draco softly apologized and righted Teddy's upturned chair. He forced him to sit down and was successful.

"Okay, but you don't need to shout," Draco said, frowning at him. The blush on his face came back, full force, and now he was hiding behind his hands.

"Have you eaten breakfast?" he asked. Teddy shook his head. "Have you eaten lunch?" Once again, Teddy shook his head.

Draco sighed and smacked his forehead. Why did he have to have a best friend like Teddy Nott? "Figures," he muttered. "Why don't you go to the kitchens to eat something, huh? That's a good idea. If you become late for Potions, I'll cover up for you. So, go."

Teddy miserably pouted but obliged. He walked out of the library in a sluggish manner, his misery increasing as he took more steps out.

Once he was gone, the blond shook his head. "What is his problem?" he asked aloud. He sighed and dismissed the thought, now returning back to his homework.

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Teddy peeked inside the Great Hall, apprehension clearly etched on his handsome face. It was dinnertime now and the problematic Slytherin debated whether to eat in the Great Hall or in the kitchen. His stomach was growling so hard now, having eaten only a few sweets in the kitchen, and his stomach was desperate to have real food already.

He walked inside the Hall, ignoring curious glances and worried looks from his Housemates and slowly strolled towards his usual place in the Slytherin table.

To his immense relief, Hermes Austen was nowhere to be found.

He eagerly plopped down beside a startled Blaise and gathered as much food as possible on his plate.

Blaise watched in amusement, allowing him first to put some food inside his empty stomach, before breaking the silence. "Are you troubled, Theo?" he asked, casually munching on a pear.

Teddy paused, swallowed the fried chicken in his mouth, before shaking his head. "I'm perfectly fine," he assured, his words cautious.

The Italian raised an eyebrow, clearly disbelieving. "Really now," he said. "Well then, explain your absence in lunch a while ago. I talked to Draco and he said you are bothered by something but you're too embarrassed to spit it out. Are you sure you are all right?"

A light stain of pink was painted on Teddy's cheek. "Don't mind me," he said, looking around the room.

"If you are looking for Hermes, he's in the library," Blaise said and watched as Teddy's blush darkened. "He said he needed to do some of his homework _and _in case you came to the Great Hall, you'll be able to eat peaceful because he isn't here."

A guilty look settled on Teddy's face. "My problem's not about… him," he lied through his teeth. "Absolutely nothing."

"Mmm-hmm," Blaise said, finishing his pear.

Silence was heard once again and Blaise chose to finish reading a book he had borrowed a few days ago. Tonight, on his nightly ritual, he would be reading a new book he'd found in the library and he hoped it would be something enjoyable.

"Blaise," Teddy said, breaking the silence. Blaise made a sound to say that he was listening. "Blaise… what do you call a guy who… erm… likes another guy?"

His eyes snapped up, narrowed into suspicion. "Why?" he asked, an accusatory tone in his voice. His suspicion increased when Teddy's blush darkened.

"No-nothing!" he exclaimed. "It's just that I know… a _friend _who does. And it has been bothering him lately to the point of making me bothered, too."

'_Right,' _Blaise thought. He then sighed and closed his book, returning it back inside his bag. "Well… if a guy likes a guy, then maybe he's gay."

To his utmost surprise, Teddy paled, the color on his cheeks changing into white. "Oh," he managed to answer. "Bu-but what if this guy likes girls, too, lots and lots of them, and only likes a _specific _guy?"

The Italian thoughtfully scratched his chin. "Well, if that's the case," he said. "Then maybe he's… bisexual."

Teddy paled more to the point of making Blaise worried. But then, he released a defeated sigh and gradually stood up from his seat. He shouldered his bag and stared at his roommate. "Well, thanks, Blaise," he said, his voice lacking emotion. "I… I'm tired already. I guess I'll just rest in the common room." And with that, he strode out of the Great Hall.

Blaise had suspicions about Teddy's unknown predicament, mostly involving his disguised roommate, and he couldn't help but release a small chuckle.

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Teddy was found in the Slytherin common room, curled up in a fetal position on his favorite couch in front of the roaring fire.

All the worrying had drained his energy and now, he just allowed himself to think of nothing at all. But alas, his stubborn dream kept on resurfacing in his mind and he would instantly react with a blush and a soft groan.

What exactly was Hermes Austen to him? He was a good friend, he reckoned. Not as good as Draco but still, enough to classify him as a person who could call him 'Teddy'. And he was thankful for him because when he came into their room, the atmosphere seemed to lighten a bit. Draco's old self had returned once in a while, although his new, brooding self would still be dominant. Blaise seemed to take a great liking to the new Slytherin and he was happy that Blaise had a new friend.

And him…? What exactly was Hermes Austen to him?

Teddy sighed and closed his eyes, trying desperately to block those thoughts away from his mind. He was tired… too tired. He just wanted to sleep.

"Lord Theodore?"

His eyes popped open, only to be met by the worried eyes of his second year avid fan girl, Mina.

"Lord Theodore, are you all right?" she asked, crouching down to level her eyes with his blue ones. "I've watched you the whole day and I noticed the changes in you. Are you all right? You seemed so out-of-character today."

Teddy sighed, bestowing the second year with a small smile. "Am I that obvious?" he asked. Mina nodded, the worried look still on her face.

The seventh year Slytherin chuckled and slowly sat up. Mina stood up from her crouching position and invited herself to sit down beside her senior. "You can tell me your problems, you know," she offered, a blush splashing on her face.

"Mina?" he asked after moments of silence. "How… how did you finally realize that you like me?"

The second year looked genuinely surprised and she looked at Teddy, her blush darkening. "Why did you suddenly ask that?" she asked.

Teddy merely shrugged, an expectant look on his face. "Well?"

Mina scratched her head in embarrassment, her eyes downcast. "Well…" she started. "I always admired Lord Theodore's carefree nature. You… you never cease to brighten my day with a simple smile of yours. Do you know that you have the most beautiful smile I had ever seen in my whole life?"

He only chuckled, flattered.

"And your eyes…" she continued, lifting her head to stare directly into his blue orbs. "They smile even if your lips aren't. You are so good to your friends, especially to your roommates. Loyal, even." Mina paused to release a contented sigh. "Those are the things that made me like you, Lord Theodore."

Teddy contemplated what the twelve-year-old said and he found himself at loss for words. Mina was looking at him with her usual awe, and the seventh year was driven to look away.

His mind drifted to the sole reason of his worry and he grimaced. The first time he saw Hermes Austen smile, something stirred inside him already. He did realize that he had a cute, if not _handsome_, smile. Teddy brushed off the idea that Hermes was handsome. He was too… effeminate to be called 'handsome'. But judging from the rumors that were running around the whole common room, girls found him 'cute'.

Hermes also seemed to be wimpy; his stature was too… lean to be considered manly. But his eyes… Teddy closed his eyes to remember. They were big, almost owlish, and every time he stared straight at those dark pools, he found himself remembering his most favorite chocolate.

He made him feel at ease. Merlin, he made him feel happy. And after discovering all of those were too overwhelming for the Slytherin.

"Mina," he said, breaking the silence.

"Hmmm?" the second-year asked, her eyes firmly trained on her senior.

"I… I think it's better if you do your homework now," Teddy continued. He gradually stood up from his favorite couch. "I'm going to go outside, okay?"

"Okay," Mina said, standing up, too. "Umm… Lord Theodore? You'll be fine, right?"

Teddy gave her an adorable smile that he could only do. "Of course," he said. "I'm Teddy Nott!"

"Okay," she said. "Goodnight, Lord Theodore."

She the trudged up to the girls' dormitory while Teddy walked out of the Slytherin Common Room, eager for the cool night breeze.

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Teddy sat on the ground, Indian Style, as soon as he arrived near the Hogwarts Lake. He gently closed his eyes and allowed the night breeze to caress his cheek and tousle his hair. Truly, the cool night could calm him down.

"_Are you all right, love?" _

His eyes instantly snapped open and he looked around wildly, terrified that Hermes Austen was just around. He scowled upon seeing that no one was around. Teddy realized he was unconsciously remembering his dream and he hated himself for that.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" he growled to the night, which merely answered with a stronger wind. "I'm not supposed to feel like this. I'm a man! That's right! I'm an awesome and straight _man_!"

He was standing up now, arms raised up in proclamation. "This is just a passing fancy. Yes, that's right! A passing fancy! I just admire him… just plain admiration and nothing else. I merely…"

"Teddy?"

Teddy froze, hands still poised mid-air. But then, he fervently shook his head. "You're just remembering your dream, Teddy Nott," he assured himself. "You're only hearing his voice. Nothing else. Just his voice."

"Teddy! Are you all right?"

The Slytherin swiveled around only to come face-to-face with none other than Hermes Austen. He was wearing this worried look on his face mixed with genuine confusion.

Teddy, unable to repress it, released a small whimper and almost took a mad dash back to Hogwarts only to be stopped by his roommate.

"Why are you avoiding me?" he asked. Teddy halted in his steps, his back still facing away from the brunette. A terrified look settled on his face and he was torn whether to stay or run away. "Did I… did I do something wrong?"

"A…ah, n-no," he said, managing to stutter.

"Then why are you avoiding me?" Hermes implored once again.

Teddy nervously scratched his head and forced himself to face his roommate. He looked everywhere but his face. "I-I'm sorry. I'm not really avoiding you, He-Hermes. It's just that… today's an extremely weird day," he said, lying smoothly through his teeth. _'Liar! Liar!' _he screamed inside his head, but shook those thoughts away.

He heard him sigh. "Well… if I really did something wrong, then, I'm sorry," he said. Teddy's eyes landed on him. His owlish eyes instantly met his blue ones and he was reminded once again by his most favorite chocolate. Teddy watched as Hermes placed his hand inside his trousers and fished out some bunch of sweets. He gingerly offered it to the Slytherin. "I'm sorry," he repeated once again, eyes downcast.

Teddy softly gasped in surprise and almost cried. Here was Hermes Austen, guilty over something he did not intend to do to him. But here he was, offering him sweets just so he could be forgiven.

'_I'm a prat,' _he mulled. _'A big, _fat _prat… Well, maybe not fat.' _

Unable to help himself, he threw himself towards his roommate and gave him a tight hug. "Gah, I'm so sorry!" he gushed out, tightening his hug. "I'm such a bad, _bad _friend. I didn't mean for you to misunderstand."

He felt him gingerly pat his back, a small chuckle escaping from his lips. "What are you talking about, Teddy?" he asked. "And… ugh, I can't breathe properly."

The carefree Slytherin colored and instantly pulled away from Hermes. Upon seeing his amused smile, his blush darkened. "I-I'm sorry," he sputtered, thankful that it was too dark for him to see his red cheeks.

"So… I'm forgiven?" Hermes asked, a hopeful look on his face. "Although, I'm not entirely sure what I did to make you upset."

Teddy nervously laughed and lifted up a fisted hand. "Fist bump?" he offered. Hermes smiled and bumped his fist against his. He then boldly swung an arm over Teddy's shoulders, despite the fact that he was inches shorter than him. Teddy couldn't help but laugh and swing an arm over Hermes' shoulder, too.

"Come on," Hermes said. "Blaise and Malfoy had been looking all over for you. You've made them extremely worried, you know."

"I know, I know," the carefree Slytherin said. "I'm going to apologize to them, too."

Hermes looked at him, a worried look on his face. "Are you sure you're going to be all right, Teddy?" he asked.

Teddy absentmindedly rubbed his pink cheeks with his free hands. "Well… I guess I'll be."

And with that, the two went back to the Slytherin Common Room.

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**A/N: And end! Aww, a whole chapter dedicated to my beloved Teddy. Isn't he adorable? Well, that's my opinion. I know some of you think he's acting kinda weird but I love him just the way he is. Nobody can stop me from loving Teddy Nott XD.**

**Ah, as you've noticed, there are no review responses. I do apologize for that. I'm kinda having this "manga" fever. You know, Japanese comics… Gah, I've found so many good ones and I must confess I haven't read any fanfictions these past few weeks. But well, what can I do? Speaking of mangas, to those who are avid fans too, can you suggest some awesome mangas (preferably, **_**shoujo **_***wink* *wink*). No smut, please. I **_**read **_**smut, yeah. But seeing it with my own eyes is different. VERY DIFFERENT. LOL, I hope you get what I mean. **

**Anyway, that's it for now. Until next time. Please do review! Ciao :D**

**With love,  
****2booklover4**


	15. Bromance?

**Disclaimer: Um… nope, still not mine :D**

**A/N: And Thursday's here! Woot, Saturday is nearing and I cannot wait for the weekend! Bah, I have to make haste. I have a test tomorrow and I should be studying right now. **

**Anyway, thank you for those who reviewed the previous chapter. So, here's the fifteenth chapter. Please review afterwards. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Fifteen: Bromance?**

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"Blaise, please pass the marmalade," Hermione politely requested, a small smile directed towards the Italian across from her.

"Oh, don't mind. I'll do it," Teddy interjected, standing up from beside Hermione and reaching out for her requested spread. Blaise looked at him curiously with a small frown. Teddy was sitting beside Hermione, which meant that he was _farther _from the marmalade than him.

"Here, Hermes!" the carefree student declared, proudly plopping the jar of marmalade in front of the brunette.

Hermione seemed a bit confused, too, but thanked him nonetheless. She wordlessly opened the jar of marmalade, oblivious to the looks she got from Teddy.

"I see you're back to normal, Nott," Draco suddenly said, snapping Teddy out of his stupor. Both Hermione and Blaise looked at him, mirroring Draco's expression.

The carefree student laughed boisterously, ruffling his hair absentmindedly. "Did I really make you worried that much?" he asked. "Aww, Draco… you're such a good mate!" He stood up and affectionately patted Draco's blond hair, ignoring his annoyed looks. "I knew you'll get worried of me, too!"

"Ah, seriously!" the blond snarled, swatting his hand away in frustration. "I don't even know whether I want you to be back to your normal self or be all brooding once again!"

"Jeez, you don't mean that!" Teddy exclaimed, averting his eyes towards the Italian. "Blaise! Draco is being such a meanie! Reprimand him, Blaise! Reprimand him!"

Blaise sighed and ignored his immature friend. Instead, he looked at Draco with a knowing look on his face. "I kinda get what you feel, mate. I honestly do," he said, a serious look on his face.

To the surprise of the three, the disguised Slytherin burst into a hearty laugh.

Hermione couldn't help it – they were acting like a bunch of five-year-olds. Teddy was, as usual, his sweet and adorable self, but truthfully, his immaturity was _astounding_. It was hilarious to see even Blaise annoyed by his attitude. And Malfoy – Hermione clutched her stomach and doubled over. She couldn't even think of the right words to describe how Draco Malfoy looked right now.

"O-oh Merlin," she said in between gasps, wiping a tear that rolled her eyes. "Are you always like this? This is… this is surprising me."

Teddy brightened, happy to make the brunette entertained. Although the sudden feeling he felt for his roommate was still hidden and unwanted in his heart, he nonetheless wanted to make her happy. "Are you really enjoying, Hermes?" he asked, the grin on his face so large.

"Ah, guys," she said. "If I had known that Slytherins were like this before, then I wouldn't have loa - ." Hermione abruptly stopped, realizing what she was saying. She colored and looked away from her other roommates, silently reprimanding herself for talking thoughtlessly.

"If you had known Slytherins were like this before, then you wouldn't have what?" Malfoy asked, suspicious frown on his face.

The brunette slowly looked back at the three. She was wearing an obviously guilty smile, which had boggled the blond. "What?"

"What were you saying?" Draco repeated. "You were saying something."

"Am I really?" she asked, absentmindedly scratching the back of her neck (sure sign that she was nervous).

Draco's eyes narrowed into thin slits and Hermione was forced to look away. To her immense relief, loud screeching was heard all around the Great Hall. The brunette looked up and sighed upon seeing the owls carrying their daily posts.

She looked back at Draco, thankful that he now averted his eyes away from her. Hermione's eyes then landed on Blaise and she turned confused when he was looking at her in mild amusement. Before she could even contemplate the Italian's odd look, a school owl landed in front of her. It stuck its feet towards her, a parchment tied securely around it.

'_Weird,' _she thought whilst untying the letter. _'I'm not expecting any letter.' _

Soon, the parchment was free from the owl's leg. It affectionately nipped her finger, asking for food, which Hermione distractedly offered. It hooted in return before flying back to the Owlery.

The brunette then eyed the letter suspiciously before opening it up.

_Meet me in the Room of Requirement later at nine o'clock pm. Do not be __late__. _

_P.S. I'm warning you…!_

Hermione softly chuckled, her eyes landing on the Gryffindor table. She subtly shook her head upon seeing Harry Potter wink before returning back to a conversation he was having with his girlfriend. _'Oh Harry,' _she fondly thought. _'What do you want now?'_

"Who's that from?" Teddy asked, trying to take a look at the letter clutched on Hermione's hand. Before he could even look at it clearly, the brunette immediately placed it inside her Potion's book.

"No one," she said in a rush. "Just some… silly admirer, that's all."

"Admirer?" Teddy asked, surprised, although a hint of annoyance was visible in his voice. "I'm telling you… those people are _annoying_. I mean, sometimes all they write about are rubbish and cheesy things."

From across him, Draco released a loud snort. "And those things are coming from a guy who gets all flattered after receiving a letter from a new secret admirer," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. He ignored the glare that Teddy threw at him.

"An admirer?" Blaise asked again, eyebrows raised high in surprise.

Hermione merely shrugged her shoulders, eager for them to change another subject. Fortunately, the bell rang, signaling the start of classes. "We better get going or we'll be late," she said, standing up so quickly she banged against her other sixth year seatmate. Her Potions book fell flat on the floor and she smiled sheepishly at her junior, apologizing for her clumsiness.

She directed a glare towards Draco when he made a comment but chose to stay silent. After all, their first class was Potions and Snape never _tolerated _unpunctuality, even of his Slytherin students.

The brunette immediately picked up her book and followed Blaise and Teddy.

Draco also followed suit, the infamous Malfoy smirk still plastered on his face, but then halted upon stepping on a piece of paper. He bent down in curiosity and clutched the parchment in his hands. He instantly recognized it as the letter from Hermes' admirer.

_Meet me in the Room of Requirement later at nine o'clock pm. Do not be __late__. _

_P.S. I'm warning you…!_

His eyes shot up after finishing reading it. Judging from what he had read, Austen had an admirer and it seemed as if his roommate returned the feeling.

'_Nine o'clock in the Room of Requirement, huh?' _he took note, crumpling the torn parchment and pocketing it inside his school trousers. _'Interesting. I wonder who Austen would meet…'_

"Oi, Draco! Hurry up!" Teddy called, temporarily snapping Draco off his reverie. "We'll be bloody late, you know!"

The blond merely nodded and jogged towards the other three to catch up.

'_Well, there's only one way to find out,' _he pondered, giving an amused glance towards Hermes' oblivious look. _'This will be fun.' _

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Hermione checked from left to right before scrambling up the staircases, eager to arrive at the seventh floor of the Hogwarts castle, just opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy where the Room of Requirement was located. It had been days now ever since she saw Harry and she had _sorely _missed him. And judging from Harry's playful letter, he was honestly missing her too.

The brunette slowed down her steps, frowning as she heard some footsteps that did not belong to her. She whipped around and her frown deepened upon seeing that no one was behind her at all.

She started walking again and stopped, this time _swearing _that she really did hear other people's footsteps rather than hers.

"Hello?" she said, looking around wildly. "Is someone there?" When no one had emerged at all, she slowly pulled out her wand just for safety's sake. They were still in the midst of a war – danger could be lurking anywhere… even in a place you call 'home'. Just look at what happened to her parents' house…

'_Oh, for Merlin's sake!' _she shrieked inside her mind, shaking her head in the process. Hermione scowled, took one last look behind her, before swiveling around and continuing her small journey.

Soon, she was at the seventh floor of the Hogwarts castle.

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Draco took a peak from an alcove he was hiding and released a silent sigh upon seeing that his roommate had averted his attention back to his journey.

The blond mentally cursed himself for forgetting to muffle the sound of his footsteps. His newly branded shoes were annoyingly loud, especially if they were walked on stone floor. And so, he brandished out his wand and silently muttered a spell to muffle their sound.

Once he was done, Draco emerged out of the alcove and continued to follow Hermes. He was nearing the seventh floor already and the blond's excitement heightened. Ever since the start of the school-year, he had been looking for more things that could be used to mock or make fun of him. Yes, he had _loathed _him the first time he had seen him but as more weeks passed by, he was sure his animosity… mellowed. It seemed like it was meeting Theodore Nott all over again. He had _loathed _him the first moment he had seen him and now, look at their relationship – they were best friends.

A small part of the blond thought that maybe, Hermes Austen could be a good friend to him, too.

Draco never really had a lot of friends ever since he was young. It was mostly because of his father's orders: "Malfoys do not treat anybody as friends, Draco. Treat them as acquaintances… _allies _that could help you be better than what you are right now. Remember that." And for the most part of his young age, he had taken that order by heart.

And then came Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott.

Blaise Zabini, he assumed, had received the same order from his mother. After all, he was still a Zabini, a pureblood. And so, they had established this so-called 'alliance' as soon as he was first brought to the Malfoy Manor when they were still small children. Draco never knew how their 'alliance' evolved into true friendship but all he knew was that he was his best friend and if something bad had happened to him, he would stand up for him and help him.

Theodore Nott, on the other hand, was entirely a different story. He was just a like a mushroom sprouting out of nowhere. The memory of Teddy's eleven-year-old self was still vivid in his mind and every time he remembered that, he couldn't help but shake his head and laugh. Teddy was known to be immature and childish nowadays in many ways. And when he was eleven-year-old, his attitude was _worse_. Draco was so amused of his weird attitude – allowing the people he truly liked to call him 'Teddy' and for the people he truly loathed to stick in calling him 'Theodore', 'Theo', or better as 'Nott'. Teddy was such a nuisance to him before but there was just something in him that made Draco _secretly _admire him in his own way. And as years passed by, he would say that Theodore Nott was his best friend, too.

There were some people he actually thought that he was friends with, namely, Gaston Gray. Just thinking about him made him scowl and mentally curse his ex-roommate inside his head.

He really thought that he would be a friend to him, until he opened up his big, fat mouth and told his father things that led him to be punished severely by Lucius. Apparently, it came to his knowledge that his only heir had changed sides and was actually a _spy _for the Order. Luckily, Snape was there, another spy, and told Lucius that he had observed Gaston Gray all his life and said that he was just envious of his son's position and such. After that, Lucius had left him alone and Draco was left with Narcissa to tend the wounds surrounding his body.

Draco scowled after hiding behind another alcove when Hermes turned around. He stayed there for quite a while, contemplating about his life, and flashed a wry smile. Who knew he would one day become a spy for the Order of the Phoenix led by a man he used to think was a nutcase?

The blond peeked out once again, leaving all of his personal thoughts behind, and emerged upon seeing that his roommate was once again walking, his back facing the blond.

They were in the seventh floor already, nearing the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, and finally, Hermes ended his small journey.

He could see a person standing opposite the tapestry and couldn't make out the face at first. Until to his utmost astonishment, Hermes flew into the said man whilst shouting a loud "HARRY!"

'_Potter?' _he guffawed in his mind, not believing the scene unraveling in front of him. There was Hermes Austen, arms tightly wrapped around the high and mighty Harry Potter, whose arms were equally tight around his Slytherin roommate.

'_So Austen and Potter are secretly dating, eh?' _he asked, watching as Harry whispered words that made the Slytherin laugh heartily. _'I always thought that Austen's a bit… effeminate. But Potter? I never guessed in my whole seventeen years that he _swings _the other way.'_

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"You are actually early today, Austen," Harry playfully said, burying his head against his disguised best friend's shoulder. "Scared about my postscript?"

Hermione released a laugh. "Ooh, I was downright terrified," she said in a mocking tone while shaking her head. "Just say that you missed me so."

Harry rolled his eyes upon feeling her arms tighter around his waist. "I would, if you weren't disguise as a bloody bloke." He mockingly pushed her away from him, face slightly contorting in disgust and subtly shivered. "I'll never get used to this, you know."

"Shut up," she hissed, although with a huge grin on her face. Her eyes landed on the bare wall. "Well, aren't we going inside? It's not yet curfew so there's a big possibility that people might still be roaming around."

The Gryffindor nodded his head in agreement. He then paced three times in front of the wall, thinking of a place where they could talk in secret. Soon, a door materialized.

"Ladies first," he whispered, gesturing to the door. Hermione rolled her eyes once again but went inside first, nonetheless.

Harry followed soon, a huge boyish grin on his face.

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Draco dashed forward and with a small wave of his wand, he made the door ajar. Potter and Austen had gone inside now and he was eager to listen to their conversation. Their voices were too soft for him to hear and it would be a bit dangerous if he muttered a soft spell under his breath that could make him understand their conversation more.

He stood rooted on his spot first, making sure that neither Harry nor Hermes noticed that the door was ajar. As soon as the coast was clear, he softly crept towards the slightly opened door and peeked inside.

His expression instantly turned amused upon seeing that their chosen hideaway looked a bit too… comfy. He made a face in disgust, thinking about what the two would do inside such a comfortable and secret room.

'_I think I should get going now,' _he thought. _'I don't want to see things even my eyes can't take.' _

Draco had stood up now and took a last peek inside the room.

But then, he had heard Harry's voice and the words that came out from his mouth had made him frozen on the spot.

"_Now pray tell, Hermione Granger, how's your deceptive life so far?" _

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"Now pray tell, Hermione Granger, how's your deceptive life so far?"

Hermione scowled, playfully hitting her best friend with the throw pillow. "You make it sound like what I am currently doing is a bad thing," she exclaimed, rolling her eyes at her laughing best friend. "And for your information, my so-called _deceptive life _is turning out to be more and more bearable as more days passed by."

Harry raised an eyebrow and nonchalantly placed an arm over her shoulder. "Really now?" he asked, voicing out his disbelief. "I am starting to worry that you're favoring Slytherin over Gryffindor… AND, don't you dare deny it because I can always see that you're chummy-chummy with your roommates already."

The brunette laughed and playfully ruffled Harry's hair. He was honestly acting like a possessive five-year-old. "Aww, you're jealous?" she asked. The Gryffindor only scowled. "Harry, you've been my best friend for ages already. No one can replace your special place in my heart. And Ron's, too. No matter how much friends I gained from the Slytherin House, you and Ron will always be the best friends I ever had."

Harry, unable to help it, grinned widely and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "If you say so," he said. "But… Nott's been acting a bit… weird, lately? _Especially _around you. Is everything all right between the two of you?"

"Teddy?" she asked, genuinely surprised because for her, Teddy was just back to his normal cheery self. "I never noticed any changes in his attitude lately. I mean, there was one time when he was completely the opposite of his usual self but now, I think he's back to normal."

Her best friend raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, you girls never understand our actions toward the opposite sex," he said. "Though, I must say that it's honestly surprising to see Nott acting like that when he knows you're a guy."

"What?" Hermione asked, confusion etched on her face. "What are you talking about?"

Harry sighed and shook his head. "Nothing," he said. "Nothing at all."

Trust Hermione Granger to be so dense when the topic was about love or mere fancy. She was definitely a good adviser to both him and Ron when they were having girl problems. Just look at him and Cho. Him and Ginny. But then, Hermione was never good in realizing that some _blokes _fancied her. For instance, there was Seamus Finnigan. It was so obvious that there came a time when he was head over heels in love with her, and most of the Gryffindors knew about it (even Ron, surprisingly), except the oblivious object of his attention. It was honestly amusing for Harry, knowing that his best friend was the brightest witch of her age.

"Hey," the brunette said, cutting Harry off his musings. "Have you heard… anything about my parents? Dumbledore hasn't talked to me for quite a while already."

"Oh, yeah," Harry said, realization dawning on his face. "I just remembered that Dumbledore told me to tell you about the state of your parents." He grew sheepish, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm sorry; I've forgotten."

Hermione only shrugged to dismiss his apology. "So what did he say?" she eagerly asked, leaning a little closer to the Gryffindor. "And why didn't he call me instead?"

"He said that he'd be busy with his work the next few days and since I had a meeting with him and I'm your best friend, he entrusted me with this information." Harry soon grew serious. "The spell's still taking its effect so far according to Snape's observation. Almost two months had passed already, you know. That means that you have eight months left to save your parents from Voldemort."

The brunette, after hearing the news, leaned the back of her head on the backrest of the couch and closed her eyes. She was silent for a while, allowing the information to sink in first before starting to talk. "Eight months, huh?" she said, releasing a humorless chuckle. "Gee, and I still haven't figured out how I can be closer to my parents." She released a soft groan and opened her eyes now directed helplessly at her best friend. "Oh Harry, what should I do?"

"Wait!" Harry said, looking enlightened. "I also remembered that Dumbledore told me that the initiation of Death Eaters will happen next month."

Hermione's face lit with delight. "That's great!" she cried in enthusiasm. The brunette shifted on her seat, her body now fully facing her best friend. "This is a great chance for me to finally discover where Voldemort's specifically hiding my parents."

The brunette's expression was a picture of pure happiness. Harry's face, on the other hand, had contorted into pure anxiety. "Are you really sure about this?" he asked. "I mean… Hermione, we are talking about being a _Death Eater_ here. And we both perfectly know that this is more dangerous than a Muggle-born being sorted into Slytherin."

The brunette rolled her eyes, exasperated with Harry's worry. "Harry, how many times do I have to tell you this? _I know what I'm doing. _And yes, I know that this is extremely dangerous. Once Voldemort knew about my true identity, I am so sure he won't hesitate but kill me right there and then. But I can take care of myself and you know that. And besides, these are my parents I am going to save. It's enough for me to decide to be a Death Eater, even if my heart is strongly against it."

Harry tiredly sighed and gingerly enveloped Hermione into a friendly hug. "Just… be careful," he said. "I know I'm being monotonous already, 'Mione. But let me repeat it again loud and clear: _Be fucking careful_. And…"

"Harry."

"No, listen. I'm being se…"

"HARRY!" Hermione's voice resounded around the whole room and the surprised Gryffindor fell silent, eyes wide as he stared at his best friend.

The brunette shook her head and gently placed a comforting hand on his cheek. "I will be fine, okay?" she said reassuringly. "Trust me."

"Don't do that!" he cried. "You know that I trust you so much but…"

"_Trust me_," she repeated once again with greater emphasis. "Trust me."

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"Sh-shit!" Draco released with a horrified gasp, taking a few steps away from the opened door. He couldn't believe it. Hermes Austen was a disguised version of Hermione Granger. "Shit!"

The blond swiveled around and absentmindedly ran away from the Room of Requirement. The conversation he had heard just now still rang wildly in his ears and as he ran farther and farther away from the bewitched room, his horror grew.

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Hermione's ears perked up, an alarmed look on her face. "Did you just hear something?"

Harry merely shook his head, slowly pulling away from their hug. "Maybe just some random ghost wrecking havoc," he said. He then looked at his watch and sighed. "Well, it's past curfew now and I think it's best if we go back already. I forgot to bring my Invisibility Cloak."

The brunette nodded and stood up, the Gryffindor in tow. But as soon as they reached the entrance door, Hermione was so surprised to see that the door was ajar. "Didn't we… close this?" Her eyes grew worried. "What if someone, you know… heard us?"

Harry grew a little apprehensive but it was soon gone. "Hermione, people rarely pass by this corridor," he assured her, placing his hand at the small of her back and guided her out of the Room of Requirement. "I probably just forgot to close it properly. Don't fret too much. You're being a little paranoid again."

Hermione chuckled and shook her head, brushing her anxiety away. "You're right," she said, facing him fully. "So… I guess this is goodnight then."

"Until we meet again," Harry said with a grin and leaned forward to give her a kiss on her forehead. "Take care, Hermione."

"I will, Harry," she answered. "I will."

And with that, they went on their separate ways.

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**A/N: And, end of chapter fifteen! Dun dun dun dun! LOL XD Draco already knows. What will he do? More importantly, what WILL Hermione do? Pfft, oh the suspense. **

**Anyway, just like the previous chapter, I have no time to post my review responses. Again, I have this test on a bloody major subject and if I flunked it, I'm dead meat.**

**By the way, I thank all those who recommended mangas to me. Most of them, I've read it already. Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm a hopeless case. First, it was fanfiction, and then it was manga. When will I stop obsessing over those kinds of things? Haha, but seriously, thank you. I bookmarked the interesting ones and I assure you, I'll be reading them some time. **

**Well, that's about it. PLEASE DO REVIEW! Until next Thursday then. Ciao for now XD **

**With love,  
****2booklover4**


	16. Confrontations

**Disclaimer: Nope. Still not mine. **

**A/N: And I'm back! I'll make this note very brief. I have a very important project to finish and I'm only posting this on one of my breaks. **

**Anyway, here's Draco's much awaited reaction to knowing Hermes Austen's secret! A lot of people actually got curious. Sorry about the cliffhanger, though. But Merlin, do get used to it already! **

**Haha, just read and review, okay? Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Sixteen: Confrontations **

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Hermione instantly scanned the whole common room as soon as she stepped inside. A scowl adorned her face, annoyed that the person she wanted to see was nowhere to be found.

"Hermes!"

She turned around and saw the ever energetic Teddy Nott, Blaise in tow. Judging by the fact that they were wearing their Slytherin Quidditch uniforms and clutching their beloved broomsticks in their hands, they were practicing Quidditch just a while ago.

"Hey," she greeted. A frown gradually grew on her face upon seeing that her other blond roommate was not with them.

"Is something wrong?" Blaise asked, looking over his shoulder to see who Hermione was looking at. "Are you looking for someone?"

Hermione released a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through her messed up hair. "Have you seen Malfoy?" she asked, voicing out her irritation towards the blond. "He _pointedly _told me that I should meet him for his assignment." She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Look who was talking, telling me to be punctual when he himself isn't."

"Well… you can check the library," Teddy offered with his usual adorable smile on his face. "Draco tends to spend an _awful _lot oftime in the library ever since our first year. Odd, if you ask me, seeing that he isn't really fond of reading. But, whatever. If he's being an intolerable git, Hermes, tell me, okay?"

The brunette chuckled and nodded. "Sure, sure," she said in a dismissive tone, now making a move to walk out of the Slytherin common room already.

"Be back before curfew," Blaise reminded with an amused smile on his face.

The brunette, on the other hand, scowled at the Italian. Blaise knew that she tended to stay a bit too long in the library, probably engrossed in reading a new book she found or scribbling furiously on a parchment just to finish her homework. She knew she was starting to get a tad bit suspicious. After all, the whole school knew that only _Hermione Granger _treated the library as a second home. And so, the disguised brunette solemnly promised to herself that she would lessen her visit to the library, even if it broke her little heart.

Hermione then sighed and gave both of them a small wave in farewell. "I will," she said, before marching out of the common room whilst greeting some of her Housemates in the process.

Once she was gone, Teddy couldn't help but shake his head. "They're awfully getting a bit closer, right?" he asked. Unconsciously, a small and adorable pout adorned his handsome face. "Well… I guess it will be good for Draco, yeah? You know, since he's in a difficult situation right now."

Blaise, with a frown on his own, merely shrugged. He couldn't help but be alarmed with Teddy's voiced out opinion.

* * *

The brunette was found in the library as she furiously finished her Potions essay due next week. The people around her _swore _that if she pressed the tip of her quill harder on the parchment, a hole would appear.

A week had gradually passed, its pace seemingly slower than before. Hermione even found herself anticipating the weekend just so she could enjoy it in the peaceful confines of the library. And when she thought of 'enjoy', it meant reading books and finishing school works in the library.

The past week was _strangely _uneventful. Usually, something exciting would happen once a week, mostly between the ever-rivals Gryffindor and Slytherin. Ron, who was still vocal about his loathing towards the rivalry between their Houses, was tamed for the whole week. Even Teddy, who usually made rude comments towards the Gryffindors, was silent.

Hermione would blame it on NEWTs. They still had at least seven months to go before the actual tests but the teachers suddenly had this _sick _idea of giving out practice tests to the complaining seventh years. And mind you, they were nowhere near _easy_. Normally, students would neglect it. After all, they were just _practice tests_. But when the professors told all of them that they would be graded, they had no choice but to take them seriously.

The brunette was sincerely challenged with the practice tests. Since the scope of NEWTs tackled their lessons ever since their first year to their seventh year, they had to recall a lot of lessons they took during their past few years. There were contents in the practice tests that weren't tackled yet; thankfully, Hermione always do advanced reading so she answered them smoothly.

Results came and the outputs of their practice tests were disappointing. Almost half of the whole seventh year body failed. A few merely passed by a point or two. Only a few, including her, were able to pass with flying colors.

The professors threatened each and every one of them that the practice tests were… well, a _practice _for them. The real thing would be way harder. Hermione swore that most of her classmates paled upon hearing this news.

And so, Hermione told herself that she would study harder than before, even doubled her study time everyday. She wasn't able to spend more time with her roommates, although she knew they wouldn't mind. The professors 'promised' that they would give another practice tests on an unannounced date, meaning, they should be ready any day. And so, Teddy and Blaise were busy with their studies to.

And Malfoy… well, Hermione hadn't encountered him for quite a while. She even feltthat he was _avoiding _her. She had brushed off his sudden strange demeanor on the first few days. She thought it was probably because of the practice tests. But then, days passed and he still hadn't talked to her. He rarely ate in the Great Hall, choosing to eat in the kitchen instead (according to a worried Teddy).

Hermione admitted that she somehow… _missed _his teasing self. She actually missed the times when he would call her names. Frankly, Hermione never got annoyed with his mockeries anymore. Instead, it made her feel like a part of her old self was back again since Draco Malfoy usually insulted her when she was still Hermione Granger.

The brunette paused on her writing, the tip of her quill hovering above her almost finished essay.

Her mind drifted back on the day when she went to the library to demand his lateness towards their rendezvous. She perfectly remembered that Malfoy had threatened her that she would be… severely punished if she did not go on time. And Hermione actually took his threat by heart. But then, she turned extremely furious when he did not show up on the time he ordered himself.

And so, following Teddy's suggestion, she stomped angrily into the library, determined to give Draco Malfoy a piece of her mind.

He was there and she easily pinpointed him, being the only bloke who had a shocking shade of blond hair. He was answering his homework and upon closer inspection, she was able to see his Arithmancy homework… the assignment she was supposed to help him.

It had confused Hermione and she made her presence known. She was actually expecting him to smirk triumphantly and exclaim that he was only joking and that she was so gullible for believing him. But then, to her _utmost _disbelief, Draco Malfoy wordlessly glared at her.

She was used to his glare after years of being the receiving end of it. But the glare that he had given her was different than before. It was… darker. It held such a great intensity of animosity and disgust. It was enough to make Hermione at loss for words.

Hermione merely stood rooted on the spot, eyes wide in astonishment, and didn't even make a move when Draco stood up loudly from his seat, gathered all of his things, and stormed out of the library.

Ever since that day, Draco Malfoy never talked to her anymore.

It had honestly boggled her. Even Blaise and Teddy noticed Draco's unusual animosity towards the disguised Slytherin. Teddy assumed she had offended him. Hermione expected him to blow up once again like what had happened when she vomited all over Malfoy, but he merely gave her a comforting pat on her shoulder and assured her that she would be forgiven soon.

Blaise, with a thoughtful look on his face, advised her to stay away from Malfoy for a while. His great hostility was astounding for the Italian, seeing now that Draco's subtle showing that he was starting to tolerate the brunette incognito.

His last comment had greatly pleased Hermione, although she was not able to understand why. That odd feeling that stirred in heart was soon set aside and forgotten.

And now, here she was, back in the library and was typically doing her work. Schoolworks were a great comfort for her, serving as both a relaxation (well, _for _Hermione Granger) and an undoubted distraction; she needed that ever since she was avoided like a plague by Draco Malfoy.

The brunette couldn't believe that she was growing attached to the blond. He had been her enemy for years, for Merlin's sake! But she was and it was frustrating. Everyday, she saw a new side of him – whether irritating or plainly amusing. He would do things that she once thought he wasn't capable of doing. But then again, even the other Slytherins were proving to be different than what she had thought about them before.

Hermione absentmindedly tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, which she perfectly knew was extremely suspicious when done by a man (or a disguised one). Thankfully, no one was around and she sighed in exhaustion, finally finishing her Potions essay.

She capped her ink bottle, dried her quill and placed them inside her backpack. She also stashed her finished essay away, safe from harm.

For a few minutes, she allowed herself to only sit down idly on her chair. Merlin, she'd been studying so hard for weeks her whole body was blatantly complaining already.

Hermione popped her knuckles before snatching the scattered books on her table. She piled them up neatly and was about to stride towards the bookshelves when a shadow loomed over her table.

_Draco Malfoy_.

She allowed herself to show her surprise in seeing him, of all people, in the library. Though, she admitted silently that it was a relief that here he was, looking as if he was going to say something to her.

"Malfoy, it's a pleasure to see your presence here," she commented with a smile, bordering playful.

The blond merely stared at her, his face the epitome of indifference. That had magnetized her lips down and soon, a suspicious frown was seen on her face.

'_What did I do now?' _she asked herself inside.

"Austen," he drawled out and Hermione couldn't help but cringe. His voice was _ice cold_. "See me on the seventh floor near the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy at exactly eleven o'clock." He took a threatening step forward and the brunette found herself almost cowering. "And do not be late, you hear me?"

"But Malfoy!" she whined, laying the stack of books on top of the table. "It's past curfew! Teachers or prefects might find us!"

His eyes narrowed into thin slits and he bent his head lower, his face mere inches away from her face. "Go or you'll _fucking _regret it."

Hermione's jaw dropped in indignation, ready to retort back a witty response, but Draco never gave her the chance as he swiveled around and trudged out of the library, his footsteps echoing loudly in the nearly abandoned library.

The disguised brunette froze on the spot, cold sweat trickling down her neck.

Those footsteps sounded awfully familiar.

* * *

"Where are you going?" Blaise inquired, surprised when Hermione excused herself from their game of wizard chess. Teddy was nowhere to be found, already in their room as he snored away into dreamland.

The common room was almost abandoned, except from the two seventh years. After all, it was almost ten-thirty in the evening already.

"Err…" Hermione said, quickly thinking of a good excuse. She actually told Blaise and Teddy that she would stay up late tonight since she had to do something important already. Blaise, who was still wide awake, volunteered to accompany her. Hermione was reluctant at first but soon gave in.

Both of them talked about random things, joked about the funny moments that had happened in their lives, and played some games. Currently, they were playing wizard chess. Hermione admitted that Blaise was _exceptional _in playing chess and she had bet that if both Ron and Blaise had a match between themselves, the results would be unpredictable.

Hermione found herself enjoying their game until she chanced a glance at the grandfather clock and saw the time.

"_Go or you'll _fucking _regret it_."

Those words uttered by an unquestionably hostile Draco Malfoy were enough for her to abandon this enjoyable game and follow his orders.

"Hermes?" Blaise asked, snapping her out of her stupor.

Hermione mentally shook her head and directed her eyes on the Italian, surprised with the genuine worry in his eyes.

Blaise Zabini was truly kind.

The brunette gave him a small smile. "Just in the library," she said. "I… forgot a book I borrowed in the library."

"The library again? You know, you're starting to remind me of a person I used to know…" A sly smirk gradually appeared on his face.

Hermione's eyes widened. _'I knew I'm starting to be suspicious!' _she screamed inside her mind whilst releasing a nervous laugh. "What are you talking about?" she hastily asked, her nervous laugh never ceasing. "I… love the library! Everybody loves the library! Who doesn't love the library?"

Blaise chuckled. "All right, all right, no need to get all nervous," he said. Indeed, teasing Hermes Austen a.k.a. Hermione Granger was amusing. "Do you want me to accompany you? It's late, you know."

"No monsters will suddenly grab me from the back and eat me whole, Blaise," the brunette playfully replied. "I'll be fine. Besides, I'm a grown gi-_boy_! I can take care of myself!"

"Mmm-hmm," he said, eyes raised in suspicion. "Is there something wrong? Judging from your weird actions and annoying babbling, there's seriously something wrong."

"No, no, nothing's wrong. Everything's perfectly all right." Her eyes landed once again on the grandfather clock. _10:45_. _'Damn, I have fifteen more minutes,' _she thought.

Hermione's eyes landed back on Blaise and smiled at him appreciatively. "I have to go now. I want to be back soon and crawl into my comfortable bed."

Blaise only nodded and Hermione took that as a cue to dash out of the Slytherin common room.

* * *

She'd finally reached the seventh floor.

Hermione was thankful for the privilege given by Dumbledore because if she wasn't exempted from the curfew rule, she would have been caught by approximately _five _patrollers already.

The tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy was already in sight and Hermione remembered the last time she went in this place – during her meeting with Harry. This place was etched in her memory forever, having been in the Room of Requirement countless times.

That thought brought her back to her present question: What did Malfoy want to discuss to her, seeing that he obviously wanted to meet her in the Room of Requirement? It was surprising that Draco chose the Room of Requirement as their meeting place when they could talk in the common room or in the library.

Dread and worry instantly grew at the pit of her stomach. Judging from his weird actions and his choice of venue, the thing he wanted to talk about with her might be of extreme importance. Millions of questions went through her brain but none of them made sense. Realizing that made her dread grow.

She was finally in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. Turning around, she expected to see a bare wall but was astonished to see that a door was already present. To increase her astonishment, it was ajar.

Hermione then remembered her last meeting with Harry. The door was opened, too. The Room of Requirement would be invisible to anyone as soon as the door closed. But if the door was ajar then…

'_Oh no. What if…' _The brunette gulped nervously and slowly approached the door. _'Nah, don't be ridiculous, Hermione! That's perfectly __**impossible**__. And besides, Hearing Enchantments are an extremely difficult spell. Only those with great magical ability can master it_.'

She was convincing herself and she knew it.

"Damn," she hissed, slowly taking a peak inside the room. "Malfoy? Malfoy? Are you in there?"

Hermione was met with silence but she soon saw Draco. Frowning, she stepped inside the room and made sure that the door was close.

Soon, they were all alone inside the Room of Requirement.

Everything was silent for a while. Hermione waited for Draco to break the silence. But he never did. The minutes ticked by and the brunette grew restless. She had a feeling that she should be anywhere and everywhere but here.

"Umm… Malfoy," she started, carefully choosing her words. "Aren't you going to tell me what I am doing here?"

Draco coolly laid his eyes on the disguised brunette. The look he was giving her forced her to look away immediately. "Malfoy," she started again, this time voicing out her exasperation. "What am _I _doing here?"

"Drop the act," he suddenly growled, his voice cutting like a sharp knife.

"What? I-I don't know what you're talking a…"

"Drop the act, _Granger_," he continued. This time, his voice was emotionless. "We're all alone here, so drop the act."

"Wh-what are you talking about?" she managed to wheeze out in a whisper, her eyes wide as saucers. Did she hear him right?

"I SAID DROP THE ACT!" Hermione's jaw dropped in perplexity. "DROP YOUR _FUCKING_ ACT, GRANGER! DROP IT!"

As soon as he was finished with his outburst, he was breathing heavily. Hermione merely stared, at loss for words. Draco was looking at her with such animosity it was _terrifying_. Judging from his facial expression, he was truly serious.

She was caught.

But how? _How_?

Hermione's mind drifted back to the time when she had her last meeting with Harry. Those foreign footsteps… the feeling of being followed… the door ajar…

The brunette closed her eyes in guilt. It was her fault, she concluded. If she had been more careful, her secret would be safe.

All thoughts of saving her parents looked like a distant dream to her now. Her secret was revealed, discovered by none other than _Draco Malfoy_, for goodness' sake!

'_But he's a spy for the Order, right?' _she asked, hope resurfacing. _'He… he's in the Light Side, right? He wouldn't tell anybody. He wouldn't tell _Voldemort_.' _

"Ma-malfoy," she stuttered, nervously taking a step forward. "Let me… explain."

"Explain? EXPLAIN!" he exclaimed. In three big strides, he was standing a few meters away from the brunette. This time, Hermione did cower. Malfoy was looking _murderous_. "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, DECEIVING EVERYBODY? WHO THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?"

"Let me explain!" she retorted back. She impulsively grabbed his collar and pulled him until her eyes were leveled with his. Bold move, yet she was _desperate_. "I… I have to do this."

He slapped her hand away in disgust and took two steps back. "Why do I have to listen to you, anyway?" he spat. "You've… you've _lied_. Do you honestly think I'm going to believe what you are going to say mext?" He scoffed and crossed his arms across his chest. "For all I know, you'd just make up some bloody lie and continue messing around with _us_."

Ouch. That had hit a nerve and Hermione showed it through her face.

"What would Blaise say?" he exclaimed, continuing. "For fuck's sake, what would _Teddy _say? Granger? YOU'RE HERMIONE GRANGER? And you made us believe that you're _dead_!"

"I have to do this, okay?" she exclaimed back, starting to get frustrated. "Malfoy, you're bloody lord has my parents!" To her horror, her eyes started to get blurry. "That… that _bastard _has my _parents_. And he's already in the process of retrieving the Secrets of the Order, which can result to their death… for Merlin's sake, it could lead to the defeat of the Light Side!" Tears slipped down from her eyes and she looked away, haphazardly wiping her face. "I… I can't just sit around and allow him to do those goddamn things to my parents!"

Despite her steady flow of tears, she was able to observe that he was undoubtedly stunned. She unconsciously wondered why he did not know, seeing that he was one of Voldemort's Death Eater.

His stance changed; the fury dissolving. Instead, fatigue emanated from his body and he looked away from Hermione, an odd expression on his face. "I have no time for your sob story, Granger," he grumbled, eyes still not meeting hers.

Typical of him. Hermione released a humorless laugh, which was weird since tears fell down from her eyes. "You want to hear something funny, huh, Malfoy?" she asked. Her eyes were trained intently on his whole form. "_I trust you_. And you know what? I actually _thought _that if you were able to discover this secret of mine, _you'd understand_."

The blond looked indignant, his mercurial eyes settling back on her. He was about to retort something back but Hermione had beaten him.

"I…" she started, her voice a mere whisper. "I… honestly thought that you, of all people, should be able to understand my current situation." She pointedly ignored the huff he made. "I… you… you're a spy for the Order – oh, don't deny it! You are, and you are all doing this to protect your _mother_."

His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Malfoy," she continued. "You should understand that I am… _deceiving _everyone because _I _want to _save _my parents from Voldemort myself."

Silence ensued. Hermione expectantly stared at Draco, waiting for any reaction from him. The blond, on the other hand, seemed too surprised for words.

Minutes passed by (which felt ages for the brunette) and as what she expected, Draco's face contorted into unadulterated resentment. "You… you have no idea how…" He sputtered for words, proof of his blinding anger. He then fell silent as he seethed, his chest heaving heavily up and down. His hands were fisted tightly; his knuckles too pale to be healthy.

Hermione merely stared, her eyes pleading. If people were able to discover her secret, everything would have been futile. "Please. _Please_, don't tell anybody."

He glared at her. "Don't… don't _fucking_…" Out of rage, he slammed his fisted hand against the door and the sudden 'bang' resounded all throughout the Room of Requirement. Hermione cringed in surprise and only watched as Draco turned around and walked out of the secret room, slamming the door so loudly in the process.

* * *

**A/N: Dearest readers, please excuse Draco Malfoy's potty mouth. He could help it if he's angry... Ooh, Draco Malfoy's enraged! Why is that? Haha, I think this chapter is another cliffie *wink* *wink* Oh, what the heck. I can spice up my stories once in a while. Also, some were probably thinking why I made Draco discover her true identity when it's still the fifteenth chapter. Trust me, there's a reason for that. You just wait *evil grin*. **

**Lol, anyway, as you've already noticed, there are no review responses (*sigh* once again). I'm sorry, summer is already approaching but that doesn't mean our school work has been getting lighter! Truth be told, I think the teachers are starting to get a little sadistic (perhaps, a lot? XD) **

**So, to make me happy, please review! I'll still faithfully update every Thursday, okay? So, ciao for now!**

**With love,  
****2booklover4**


	17. Falling For You

**Disclaimer: Nope. Still not mine.**

**A/N: Well, I'm back :p I do apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I had a movie marathon last night and I couldn't stop myself from watching. I'm sorry. I'm really a sucker for movies, especially for good movies :D **

**Anyway, here is the next installment of OaP. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Seventeen: Falling For You**

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_I don't know but  
__I think I maybe  
__**Falling For You  
**__Dropping so quickly_

_Falling For You by Colbie Caillat_

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It was surprising for Hermione, seeing that nobody knew that she was actually Hermione Granger in disguise the next few days after her confrontation with Draco.

Everybody still treated her as if she was the friendly Slytherin named Hermes Austen. Everybody still gave her their usual greeting as she strode inside the Great Hall for breakfast.

Malfoy hadn't told anybody, she concluded. It was a great relief for her, but still, knowing that Draco Malfoy _knew _never made her feel at ease anymore. He had the power to suddenly break everything and tell everybody that she was deceiving them. He had the power to tell everything to his great lord to mislead him more into thinking that he was not a spy for the Order of the Phoenix.

But, he never did.

It had been three days now and Hermione found herself in the Great Hall, surrounded by the other Slytherins. Both Blaise and Teddy were seated across from her, talking animatedly about the upcoming match between their chosen International Quidditch teams. Malfoy, unsurprisingly, was nowhere to be found. Ever since his confrontation with her in the Room of Requirement, he had avoided her _more_.

She involuntarily released a soft sigh and rested her chin on top of her hand, eyes staring off into space. The sudden sound she made had stopped Blaise and Teddy's conversation. They looked at each other in the eye before averting their eyes to their troubled roommate.

"Is something wrong… _again_?" Blaise asked, adding the last word in amusement. Hermione Granger had seriously looked troubled for the past few weeks already and it was _troubling _him, too.

"Can you look anything but anxious for now?" Teddy added with a hopeful look on his face. "Just looking at you seriously depresses me, you know, Hermes."

Despite the heavy feeling in her heart, she released a soft chuckle. "Am I really that worrisome already?" she asked with a sigh. She then waved her hand dismissively, eyes trained on her two Slytherin best friends. "I'm sorry; just… don't look at me if I'm bothersome. Don't mind me; I can handle it myself."

'_Liar!'_

Both Slytherins simultaneously looked disappointed. Seeing those looks on their faces made her heart race in fear. If they discovered that she was actually deceiving them to make them think that she was Hermes Austen and she was not Hermione Granger, would they look at her with the same faces? It was terrifying for Hermione and she instantly looked away.

Teddy broke the silence by releasing a resigned sigh. "If you say so," he said, returning back to his meal.

"I'm sorry," she repeated.

Blaise broke the tension with his good-natured laugh. "You don't need to apologize," he said. Hermione looked at him gratefully. "I mean, it's your business and not ours. If you don't want to tell us, then we won't force it out from you." His face then gradually morphed into an expression of mixed seriousness and worry. "But, we're here, yeah? I promised you that I'd look after you and Teddy here will surely do the same. So, if you think you can't handle it anymore, don't hesitate in approaching us, okay?"

Hermione flashed both of them with a wide grin. What would she do if Blaise Zabini and Teddy Nott were not her friends? "Okay," she answered back.

"And so, that's settled!" Teddy chirped, reverting back to his cheerful self. He then leaned slightly forward on the table, his chin rested on his entwined fingers. "It's Hogsmeade Day tomorrow! Aren't you all excited? Merlin, those practice tests were so _tiresome _we seventh years seriously needed a break."

Blaise surprisingly sighed and shook his head. "I can't come," he told both of them. "I had to do some extra credits for Transfiguration. My low score for the practice test of the subject surprised Professor McGonagall and offered me to make up for it. So, I agreed; hence, I can't come."

Teddy scowled and playfully punched the Italian's shoulder. "Ditch it!" was his typical exclamation, which was answered by a roll of eyes from Blaise.

"Not everybody acts like you, Theo," he retorted back. "Even I care for my grades." He sighed and looked back at the silent Hermione. "And I think that if you were to ask Draco, he'd plainly say 'no'. He had not been eating in the Great Hall for weeks now, yeah? I somehow feel that he's… avoiding us."

'_Or avoiding me,' _Hermione forlornly thought inside her mind, looking away from Blaise's piercing eyes.

"So, that leaves you with Hermes," the Italian continued. "I think he needs to have a break the most." When Blaise looked back at Teddy, he was surprised to see that the carefree Slytherin grew pale. "Theodore?"

"Err…" Teddy stuttered, eyes wide as he stared at the disguised Slytherin. _'A day with Hermes Austen? Oh Merlin, kill me now.' _"Umm… I think he'd decline, too. I-it's okay for me to go alone. I'll just tag along with some random Slytherins. I-I'll be fine."

Hermes slowly nodded in agreement. "He's right," she voiced out. "I just need some time… alone."

"Nonsense," Blaise interjected with a wave of his hand. He pointedly ignored the glare that Teddy gave to his direction. "You're both free and all. Enjoy Hogsmeade Days because we'd be really busy for the next few months."

"But – ."

"Don't interject, Nott," Blaise said in annoyance, giving him a glare of his own. "I'm starting to have a feeling that you don't want to hang-out with Hermes here." Inside, Blaise was grinning. Teasing Theodore Nott about his obviously newfound feelings for the disguised brunette was as fun as teasing Hermes Austen of facts about Hermione Granger. Though, he had to admit, alarm bells were ringing loudly inside his head. If Teddy discovered that Hermes Austen was actually a girl… _what would happen to him_?

He shook his head as Teddy looked indignant. "O-of course not!" he stuttered in exclamation. His eyes landed on Hermes. "It's just that, I-I… Oh, what the heck." He closed his mouth in defeat and expectantly stared at Hermes.

"It's fine," she stubbornly said. "I'll stay here if you don't want me to come with you in Hogsmeade."

A guilty look adorned the handsome Slytherin's face. His roommate was so dejected and now, he was making Hermes all the more depressed. "I-I'm sorry," he stuttered out, his cheeks inflaming in embarrassment. "It's all right. You can come with me. I'll make our Hogsmeade trip tomorrow fun, Hermes. I solemnly swear."

Hermione sighed and gave him a small smile. This only darkened the color on his cheeks. "Okay," she said, absentmindedly ruffling her short hair. "I guess you're right, Blaise. I'm the one who needed to have a break the most."

Blaise only nodded while Teddy looked away, thinking if he really made the right decision.

**

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"You ready, Teddy?" Hermes asked as soon as he emerged from the bathroom. When Teddy looked at him, he found himself blushing. Hermes was wearing a simple green sweater over some random shirt he rummaged out from his trunk. He was also wearing denim pants with white sneakers covering his feet. To top it all, a black bonnet covered his small head.

Cute. _Definitely_.

'_Oh, for the love of – GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!' _Teddy reprimanded himself whilst shaking his head vigorously. _'Just because you're going to be all alone with him for a day…' _He released a groan and clutched his head, trying to get his mind off the brunette in front of him. But of course, it would be undoubtedly hard, seeing that he would spend the whole day with Hermes Austen and him _alone_.

"Teddy?" he asked, snapping Teddy off his reverie. The carefree Slytherin took a step back, surprised that he advanced himself and was now standing a few meters away from him. For him, Hermes was too close for his comfort. "Are you okay? You just… zoned out."

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he assured, taking a few more steps away from him. Teddy then turned around, his back now facing Hermes, to hide the furious blush that crept on his neck up to his cheeks. "Let's just go, okay?" _'Let's get this thing over with.' _

He heard him release a soft sigh. "Okay," Hermes answered. Teddy nodded and briskly walked out of their room, Hermes in tow.

**

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Hermione sighed for the umpteenth time as she mindlessly walked side-by-side with Teddy.

They were in Hogsmeade already with some of their schoolmates hustling and bustling here and there. The carriage ride pulled by thestrals (which Hermione could already see) was a quiet one. Hermione even reckoned that it was an _awkward _one. Teddy was awfully silent the whole ride, his eyes firmly set outside the windows.

But Hermione didn't mind his unusual silence. In truth, she wanted to be anywhere and everywhere but here in Hogsmeade.

Anxiety took over as soon as she stepped out of Hogwarts. She was honestly apprehensive of the people she passed by. What if they were the person who knew about her true identity? What if Malfoy had told them? What if somebody suddenly pointed an accusing finger to her and exclaimed that she was a 'deceitful bitch'?

'_Oh Merlin, kill me now!' _she proclaimed inside her head whilst groaning inwardly.

What the bloody hell had happened to her life, she asked herself. She was supposed to be happily making jokes with Harry, Ron, and Ginny while they drank butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks.

"Am I boring you?" Teddy suddenly asked. Hermione was forced to get her mind back to their trip as she looked at the carefree Slytherin beside her. It was the first time he had uttered a sentence to her.

"Err…" she said, frowning at the sight of Teddy. He honestly looked a bit… _troubled_. "Not really." She released a sigh, followed by a soft chuckle. "Actually, I don't really mind. Your company's enough." To her utmost surprise, a faint blush appeared on both of his cheeks. A satisfied grin also grew on Teddy's face.

"I'm sorry," he said. Teddy nervously ruffled his hair.

Hermione merely shrugged, tucking both of her hands inside her front pockets. "What do we do now?" she asked.

Teddy sighed and frowned. "I'm not really sure…" he slowly said. "Usually, it's Draco who makes the decision every time we go to Hogsmeade."

Upon hearing his name, the brunette blanched. Teddy had noticed the paleness of her cheek, which caused his frown to deepen more. "Did something happen between you and Draco?" he asked, a hint of annoyance in the tone of his voice. "Did Draco do something to you again?"

Hermione humorlessly chuckled. _'Of if you only know, Teddy,' _she said inside her mind. "No, no, Malfoy never did anything to me," she interjected, shaking her head in the process. She released a soft sigh and absentmindedly scratched the back of her neck, avoiding Teddy's searching eyes. "Actually… I _think _I'm the one who caused his sudden avoidance."

"You're bothered by that?" he asked. Upon seeing the nodding of her head, he sighed. "Look, understand that Draco's like that, even before. I mean, he tends to keep silent and avoid anybody who has offended him."

"Um… not exactly a comforting thing to say," Hermione truthfully said, though a wide smile was seen on her face.

Teddy chuckled in return, starting to feel at ease. "Well, that's Draco Malfoy for you," he said. "Unfortunately for you, he's in his worst conditions right now. I guess that you'd find him more… agreeable if you were able to meet him way back before."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Worst conditions?" she inquired. "What do you mean?"

The carefree Slytherin sheepishly smiled, ruffling his onyx hair. "I'm not really sure if I'm supposed to say those things," he answered. "It's _extremely _personal for Draco and he's my best friend. I want to keep his secrets. If you want to know, ask him yourself."

The brunette absentmindedly nodded but deep inside, she knew Malfoy would have AK-ed her before she could even ask his 'current conditions'.

"Hey," Teddy continued, placing a hand on her shoulder. Hermione looked at him in question, and then shot a look at his hand, before looking back at him.

Teddy, on the other hand, seemed to realize his sudden bold move before retrieving his hand back, cheeks darkly inflamed. "We-well," he started with a stutter. He then nervously cleared his throat. "I was just wondering if you want to go grab some butterbeer. That's what Draco, Blaise, and I usually do on Hogsmeade day."

Hermione grinned. "Butterbeer sounds lovely."

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**

"Are you barking ma – NO! THEODORE NOTT, STOP THIS INSTANT!"

Teddy swiveled around, sporting a huge grin on his face. "Scared, Austen?" he asked slyly, his grin turning into an eerily Malfoy-like smirk.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Teddy's sudden audacity. Just a while ago, he was this 'awkward' Teddy and after drinking a couple of butterbeer (_ten _glasses, to be exact), he started to revert back to his old self but this time, he was starting to get a bit… _loopy_.

The brunette couldn't believe the surprising effects of butterbeer on Teddy. Of course, she knew that the beverage still had a low percentage of alcohol. But then again, he drank _ten_, so maybe that was why he was acting a bit drunk.

After drinking his tenth glass, Teddy stood up from his seat and boldly proclaimed for them to have fun in Knockturn Alley.

_In Knockturn Alley_. The same blasted alley where Hermione found herself weeks before forced by some deranged hags in disguise as gorgeous maidens to come with them so that she would be their _sex slaves_. For goodness' sake, the same blasted alley where annoying Draco Malfoy unpredictably saved her, thus, she now owed her life to him.

'_Darn it,' _she snorted inside her head, stomping towards Teddy, who was now successfully inside Knockturn Alley. She had spotted him just a few feet from Borgin and Burkes as she released an exhausted sigh. "Teddy!" she exclaimed, closing the wide gap between them. "Teddy, this is serious!" She finally arrived beside him. Hermione clutched both of his shoulders and forced him to look at her. "This is serious, Theodore Nott. I am _serious_. Listen carefully to what I'll say, okay? It's _dangerous _here."

Teddy blinked at her, surprise clearly etched on his face. Soon, he was laughing. Hermione's _too-_serious look was comical for him (_endearing _even) and so, he voiced out his amusement. "Hermes," he said in a sing-song voice. "This will be fun, I swear. I promised you that I'll make this trip fun, right? So, _trust _me."

The carefree Slytherin then pulled away from Hermione's grasp before turning around and stomping to Merlin-knows-where.

"Teddy, you're bloody drunk!" she exclaimed, running to catch-up with him. She mentally cursed his long and muscular legs. "You might do something rash… FOR MERLIN'S SAKE, ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?"

Her sudden outburst had attracted the strange passersby of Knockturn Alley. Hermione's eyes widened upon seeing a deranged man who hissed at her in irritation. With a soft whimper, she strode quickly towards Teddy who was now whipping his head frantically.

"What are you looking for?" she hissed with narrowed eyes. Her left hand unconsciously shot up and tightly gripped Teddy's right arm.

"Looking for some gorgeous women," he slightly slurred, a sly smile visible on his face. "And have some fun with them."

Hermione looked scandalized. His comment seemed a bit too… un-Teddy-like for her. "We're going back this instant, Nott."

Her order was firm, but he seemed unfazed. He continued his search and Hermione had no choice but to tag along, defeated.

They had passed odd-looking shops and Hermione swore that most of them sold illegal merchandises. Once or twice, two wizards begged them for some money. Soon, Hermione was growing restless. She was starting to recognize the place they were currently in and she did not like it one bit.

Her grip around Teddy's arm tightened and she had no idea how much that simple action of hers affected him.

Hermione then looked to her left and soon regretted it. Because there, standing lecherously, were the same gorgeous hags that became the reason why she feared going to Knockturn Alley. She knew she was not mistaken; she recognized the leader of the troop, the one who forcefully grabbed her wrist and ended up bruising it.

"Teddy, let's go," she said, slight desperation in the tone of her voice.

Her eyes never left the _dangerous_ posse and curious, Teddy was driven to look. To Hermione's great horror, a humongous smirk appeared on the carefree Slytherin's face. "Bingo," he murmured before gently pulling away from Hermione's grip and strode slowly towards the gang.

Hermione stood stock-still for a moment. Her surprise was beyond words. She could not believe that there was Teddy, willingly approaching his impending doom. She snapped out of her stupor as soon as the leader of the hags noticed Theodore's approach. She watched as the disguised hag flashed him a seductive smile, the others following her lead.

Soon, a glazed look settled in Teddy's eyes. She vaguely remembered Blaise telling her that _often _men fell into their trap – those who only didn't were most probably powerful or only disguised as one. Teddy was most definitely not a disguised man like her. She also doubted that he was powerful enough to fight the hypnotism of the gorgeous hags.

The leader slowly strutted towards Teddy, who was now standing rooted on the spot, his eyes never leaving the group. "Come with us," she heard the leader saying. "And we'll make you very, very happy."

'_Oh no,' _she gushed breathlessly inside, mindlessly striding towards the group. _'They're using that bloody line to Teddy now!' _

"Yes, I'll come with you," was Teddy's robotic answer. Hermione flinched, noticing that the tone of his voice was not his at all. "And make me very, very happy."

The brunette forced herself to run faster as soon as Teddy willingly gave his hand to the leader, who took it gently and held on to it tightly. Before her eyes, the gorgeous ladies turned into the grotesque hags and she bet that Teddy was too hypnotized to notice.

"Stop!" she cried, panting. "Release him, you bloody hags! I'm warning you."

Her wand was brandished out and was constantly pointed from one hag to the other. The leader, surprised with the sudden intrusion, looked up and her eyes widened upon seeing Hermione.

"You," she released in a raspy whisper, Teddy's wrist still clutched tightly in her hand. Fear slowly trickled on her face as she looked at the other hags. They, too, were sporting fearful looks on their faces. "You…" She gently let go of Teddy's wrist and walked a few steps away from her. "It's him," she continued, panic rising at the tone of her voice. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she sobbed. She desperately tried to block her 'friends' with her arms. "We're leaving. I'm sorry."

Hermione watched in an awed silence as the hags suddenly turned around and ran away from them as fast as they could.

As soon as they were out of sight, Hermione released a relieved sigh. She turned slowly to Teddy, who was still staring off into space, the glazed look still present on his face. "Teddy," she said, grabbing his shoulders whilst shaking him. "Teddy, come on! Snap out of it!"

When he still continued to gaze emptily into space, Hermione finally resorted to a desperate plan that she came up with. "This will hurt a bit," she said, before raising a fisted hand. She pulled it back before hurtling it so fast until her fist came in contact with Teddy's jaw.

She realized a bit too late that the impact was too strong. She heard this sickening crunch after punching Teddy and a surprised groan that escaped from the hypnotized Slytherin.

"_Shit_!" Teddy exclaimed, cradling his smarting jaw. "What the bloody hell did you do that for?"

Hermione was so relieved to see that he was back to normal, unscathed (except for the bruise that started to form on his jaw), that she was at loss for words. "Are… ARE YOU INSANE?" she thundered, giving another weak punch on his chest. "THAT WAS DANGEROUS, THEODORE NOTT! DANGEROUS, I TELL YOU!"

To her utmost surprise, Teddy started to laugh.

"What's funny?" she cried, her face still showing great concern for the carefree Slytherin.

"O-oh, Merlin," he wheezed, now doubled over as he clutched his aching stomach. "That was… _wicked_! I just blanked out right there and then. Goodness, I actually don't remember what had happened for that span of time! Oh, Blaise and Draco aren't lying at all."

"This isn't a laughing matter, Nott," she sternly said. "You almost became a bloody… _sex slave_."

Teddy grew quiet, his laughter seizing. "You're worried for me?" he softly squeaked, looking like a five-year-old child.

"Damn right that was!" she exclaimed, poking the bruise on his jaw. He flinched and hissed. "And thank Merlin because I was _sensible _enough to save you!"

A small smile grew on his face, his cheeks gradually growing hot. "You're worried for me?" he asked once again. He suddenly swung an arm over Hermione's shoulder and pulled her closer to himself. "You're worried for me!" he exclaimed, now laughing loudly.

Hermione looked at him strangely, pointedly noticing that his cheeks were a vivid shade of red. "Maybe punching you wasn't a good idea at all," she grumbled.

Teddy seemed not to hear it as he steered Hermione. "Come on," he said. "I'll treat you some ice cream because _you're worried for me_."

**

* * *

**

Theodore Nott merely stared.

It was surprising, even for him, because he was known as a bloke who never stayed still for at least five minutes. But there he was, merely staring silently, an unbeknownst smile gradually growing on his face.

He couldn't help but stare. Hermes Austen was the epitome of calmness… of peace, and he silently vowed that he'd shut up for a while so as not to break the peaceful bubble surrounding his roommate.

They were in a bookstore after Hermes incessantly begged him to go to one and he, cursing his bloody heart, agreed afterwards. Teddy was never a fan of books; in fact, he tried his best not to visit the Hogwarts library as much as possible. He could even count with his own ten fingers how much he had visited it for his whole seven years in school.

Now, seeing Hermes browsing all over the bookstore with a gleeful look on his face, he started to think that maybe there was something about books and the library he could love after all. He made a mental note that the next time his roommate claimed that he would go to the library, he'd tag along…

'_Whoa. Whoa. Whoa,' _Teddy told himself, his eyes momentarily growing wide. _'Just what do you think you're doing? This is Hermes Austen we're talking about, Theodore Nott! A guy, a bloody guy! Did you forget that you're supposed to avoid him as much as possible, huh? Or are you starting to think that maybe what you're feeling for Hermes Austen is okay… albeit, weird…' _

"What the fuck," he furiously whispered under his breath, willing his inflamed cheeks to return back to their normal color. Maybe he was still a bit tipsy after drinking ten glasses of butterbeer, making him think about things that he was not supposed to think about.

"Are you okay, Teddy?" Hermes suddenly asked. Teddy subtly shook his head to clear his mind. When he looked back at him, his face was contorted into slight worry. His heart skipped a beat, his stomach did a little somersault, knowing that _that _worry Hermes was showing was directed to _him_.

"Teddy?" he asked again, now returning a book to its proper place.

"I'm perfectly fine," he lightly said. "Just… don't mind me. Continue looking for the book you want."

Hermes frowned, his eyes landing on one of the bookshelves. Teddy thought his attention was once again diverted, but then, he looked back at him. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked once again. "You've been… awfully quiet ever since we came in the bookstore. You're still not angry about the punch I gave you a while ago, yeah?"

Teddy chuckled, absentmindedly rubbing the small bruise on his jaw. He had to admit, Hermes punched like a real guy, but he did not voice it out to comfort him. "No, no," he said, shaking his head to make a clearer point. "It's just that… there are a lot of books around here. Books can make me feel stupid."

His roommate snorted whilst rolling his eyes in disbelief before returning back to the bookshelf he was currently inspecting. Teddy smiled as he watched him, eyes slightly narrowed in scrutiny.

**

* * *

**

'_Weird bloke,' _Hermione thought inside her head, giving Teddy a suspicious look, before swiveling around and continuing her hunt for a potential good book.

Teddy had been awfully quiet as soon as they entered the bookstore. His mood changes were so astounding for Hermione; first he would be quiet, then audacious, and then revert back to being quiet. The brunette just hoped he'd be back to his normal self as soon as they returned back to Hogwarts.

'_Maybe he's still a bit woozy after being hypnotized by those bloody hags,' _she thought, chancing a glance at Teddy. Her eyes landed on the bruise on his jaw. _'Or maybe I really messed up his mind after punching him.' _

A small, _unwanted_, proud smirk grew on her face. She reckoned that she was getting better in punching Slytherins… The smirk completely wiped off from her face. She did not want to continue that thought because she knew she'd once again start thinking about Malfoy…

'_And now, I'm thinking about him once again,' _she sneered, rolling her eyes while returning a romance novel, which is, judging by the summary at the back, was oozing with sickening cheesiness.

Hermione sighed and abruptly turned around. But then, she was not able to see the innocent metal ladder leaning against the opposite bookshelf. She had bumped against it not-so-gently and it teetered dangerously until finally toppling over. Hermione closed her eyes, waiting for the blow… It never came.

She opened her eyes and was flabbergasted to see Teddy hovering a few meters above her, his face contorted into pain.

**

* * *

**

"Are you okay?" Teddy gushed out, breathless. He swore he stopped breathing there for a moment as he watched the metal ladder falling. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"I-I'm fine," he heard him say. But then Hermes' eyes enlarged as he glanced at Teddy's right arm, which was preventing the metal ladder from hitting him squarely on his head. "You're bleeding, Teddy."

"Just a scratch," he assured him, straightening the metal ladder. When he looked at his arm, he instantly paled. Blood constantly gushed out from the huge cut on his arm and Teddy, helpless, merely looked at Hermes with a horrified look on his face.

"Just a scratch, huh?" Hermes asked, his eyebrow raised.

**

* * *

**

"Quit squirming, you baby."

"I'm not a baby!" Teddy interjected with a whine, watching as Hermes gingerly washed off the blood from his arm. After the incident in the bookstore, Hermes instantly rushed a horrified Teddy to an abandoned loo somewhere in the heart of Hogsmeade. "It's painful! Am I hemorrhaging? _Am I going to die?_"

He scowled once Hermes burst into merry laughter, shaking his head at Teddy's incredulity. "Die?" he asked. "You have a bigger possibility of dying while hovering fifty feet off the ground than having a wound like this, Teddy."

Teddy merely whimpered, looking away from his wound. He never really liked seeing blood. It made him feel a bit… dizzy.

"This is your fault, you know," Hermes said. "You shouldn't have acted like a _hero _and shielded me from that blasted metal ladder."

The carefree Slytherin's jaw dropped. "You're not thankful?" he asked in disbelief. "I just saved your from having… _this_!" He shoved his wounded arm towards Hermes, who laughed in return.

"All right, all right, thank you very much Theodore Nott," he said, a cheeky grin on his face. "You saved my life. I am eternally grateful."

"Eternally grateful my arse," he spat, watching as Hermes conjured a bandage and retrieved a soothing salve from his pocket.

Upon seeing Teddy's stare on his hand, Hermes smiled. "I learned it from Blaise," he claimed, waving the soothing salve. "Said that it's handy for me to bring one every time I'm with you or… Malfoy." A frown adorned his face for a moment but he shook his head and a smile soon replaced it.

Hermes then opened the cap of the salve, swiped his middle and index finger, before carefully rubbing it all over his wound. Teddy would flinch sometimes, but he wouldn't comment. He just silently watched as Hermes then wrapped the bandage around his arm.

"There," he said proudly, clipping the bandage in place. Hermes then smiled up at him. "All done. And no, Teddy, you won't die."

Teddy was once again merely staring, seemingly at loss for words. There it was again – the weird feeling that resurfaced in his heart and stomach every time he stared at Hermes.

"Hey?" he asked, eyebrows knitted together. "Are you all right?" Hermes gingerly touched his forehead and then frowned. "You're kinda warm, Teddy. Are you all right?"

He did not know what _possessed _him to do it. Maybe because it was the sight of blood or the slight dizziness that started to form in his head; Teddy was not sure. Because to the utmost astonishment of the two, Teddy Nott suddenly enveloped Hermes Austen into a tight embrace.

A confused and terrified expression settled on Teddy's face. He was actually torn between hugging him forever and ever and pulling away from him, disgusted with himself. But hugging him felt nice, even comforting, and Teddy found himself gradually closing his eyes and burying his face against his hair. His arms seemed to tighten themselves around Hermes' waist as more minutes passed by.

"Umm… Teddy?" his roommate asked, arms raised awkwardly in the air.

"Lost of blood," Teddy excused, voice a little strangled. "Just… let me hold you for a while, Hermes."

His roommate looked at him in worry, but didn't say anything. In the end, Hermes lowered his hands on Teddy's back and gingerly patted it.

**

* * *

**

It was almost twilight, Teddy noticed, as he gazed outside of the thestral-drawn carriage. His face was red ever since the incident in the deserted boys' loo and now, he couldn't look at Hermes in the eye. It was embarrassing for Teddy to allow his emotions to overwhelm his whole brain and make him do bizarre things. But then, a part of him was actually thankful for his stupidity for he was able to feel Hermes body pressed against his…

His eyes widened in horror, cheeks darkening furiously. He sounded perverted, he reckoned, and he hid his face behind his hands to release a soft groan. _'What is happening to me?' _he asked himself. _'This is… this isn't funny anymore! Am I thrust into a bloody sick joke, huh? I want to get out! Stop making me feel this way! I don't want this any – _

His trail of thought halted as soon as he felt Hermes Austen's head on his shoulder. He looked at him in surprise, noticing that he was fast asleep. Conflicting thoughts rushed into his mind: Would he push him away? Or would he allow him to rest his head on his shoulder?

In the end, the latter of the two won, and Teddy released a defeated sigh. He scowled at his left arm, which suddenly slithered over Hermes' shoulder to pull him closer to himself. Hermes stirred and Teddy froze on his seat, afraid that if Hermes woke up, he'd accuse him of being a perverted gay.

Not that he had a grudge against gay people. He actually admired them; surprised with their bravery to let others see what they truly were. _'Am I one of them, too?' _he asked himself, apprehension in his heart. He knew he had been denying ever since those blasted feelings for Hermes Austen started. But this time… he couldn't deny it anymore.

It was growing, his feeling,and he desperately tried to stop it. But it was too stubborn for him to handle, having a mind of its own. He was falling and falling and falling… alarmingly _fast_.

He actually blamed Hermes for making him feel this way. He blamed him for making him feel weird things he hadn't felt before. But he couldn't stay angry with him. He just couldn't.

Teddy shifted his head until his chin was resting gingerly on top of Hermes' head. With half-lidded eyes, he softly murmured for the wind to only hear, "Maybe, 'weird' is okay, Hermes."

And for the rest of the carriage ride, Theodore Nott held Hermes Austen. And that time, he was able to finally understand what he was truly feeling.

**

* * *

**

**A/N: Gah, Teddy was so damn adorable in this chapter, don't you think? I just want to hug him so badly! Anyway, I'm sorry that there are no Blaise/Herms scenes as much as Teddy/Herms. There will a few in the next chapters but, I repeat, a **_**few**_**. After all, this is a Draco/Herms story. Speaking of the lovely couple, you'll be able to know what would happen with their, err… relationship in the next chapter. **

**Woot, I'm sorry for not responding to your reviews :p Things had been somewhat like hell here and I'm all frazzled and blah. First, teachers are bombarding us with school work. Second, my damn cell phone just broke and I feel like breaking every cell phone I see. And lastly, tomorrow's our promenade and I'm so damn nervous and excited at the same time to the point that I want to gag. GAAAAAH. Good god, I need a nice, loooooong break… Probably, put this story on hiatus… LOL, I was kidding :p If you must know, this story and your reviews are the only things that keep me sane in this cruel, cruel world. **

**Haha, anyway, that's all. Please do review, my lovelies. Ciao for now!**

**With love,  
****2booklover4**


	18. Awfully Happy

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's.**

**A/N: Well, I'm back and alive. And wow, I actually made it on time! Um, I really don't have anything to say so just read this chapter and review afterwards, okay? **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: Awfully Happy**

* * *

" – and then, Ginny suddenly grabbed an innocent vase from one of the windows and hurtled it towards her brother! Imagine my surprise! Oh Merlin, you should be there when I blasted the vase into smithereens to save Ron. Ron's face was priceless when he looked at his furious sister, horrified."

Harry waited for Hermione to give a small comment. He turned his expectant eyes towards her form and frowned. She merely gave a nod of her head and buried her face deeper into her knees. "Are you okay?" he asked in concern, his hand on her shoulder. When she refused to lift her head and look at him, he started to massage the shoulder he was holding. "Hermione? Come on, you know I won't stop pestering you until you tell me what's bothering you."

He heard her release a soft sigh and mumbled a word he couldn't understand. "What?" he asked once again.

"Malfoy," she repeated. He noticed that her cheeks flushed and she buried her face deeper, seemingly embarrassed.

The Gryffindor frowned, bothered by Hermione's answer. Ever since he arranged for them to meet in the Room of Requirement, the brunette's mind was always filled with the blond. "Not him again," he groaned, an annoyed scowl on his face.

Hermione guiltily lifted her head. "I-I'm sorry," she apologized. She closed her eyes and hid them behind her hands, releasing a sigh in the process. "It's just… I don't know what to do anymore, Harry. I-I'm afraid that he'll suddenly blurt out to anybody he passed by about my secret."

Harry's face gradually softened as she lifted her face once again and stared at him. "What am I going to do, Harry? Should I… should I tell Dumbledore? His sudden knowledge about my identity's making me worried _sick_." She paused to release a loud groan. "Merlin, I'm tempted to hurtle a Memory Charm towards him every time I see that blond!"

"Don't forget to invite me if you're really going to do that," he butted in, humored. "I couldn't miss it for the world."

"Harry!" she exclaimed in frustration. "This isn't time for your bloody jokes. This is about - ." A strangled moan escaped from her lips. "And now I'm starting to sound like you when you were having problems about Voldemort! _No offense_."

Harry merely released a good-natured laugh and nonchalantly shrugged. "None taken," he said. Now, why would he be offended when what she said was perfectly true? "You know," he continued after minutes of silence, "I can actually produce a good Memory Charm. If you're too… _wimpy _to do it yourself, I'm volunteering myself to do it to him." A small smirk appeared on his face. "After all, payback's bitch."

In spite of her current mood, she chuckled. "Oh, Harry," she merely said, shaking her head in disbelief. "What am I to do without you in my life?"

The-Boy-Who-Lived's smirk widened. "True, Hermione Granger. What are you going to do if I'm not in your life now?" he asked. The smirk on his face broke into a grin as he gathered the brunette into his arms.

Hermione sighed and buried her face against his neck, just contented that he was there beside her. She allowed silence to ensue around the hide-away room. After all, she never minded silences with Harry. It was always comfortable.

Soon, a bit too soon for Hermione, she broke the silence. She couldn't contain the question bubbling at the tip of her tongue anymore. "Harry," she started, closing her eyes and buried her face deeper against his neck. "What will happen if everybody suddenly discovered that Hermes Austen is actually Hermione Granger?" she asked softly.

"You very well know that I don't know the answer to that," he said with his own defeated sigh, mindlessly stroking her boyish hair. He honestly missed her long and curly tresses.

He grew silent once again, but then suddenly released a groan followed by a disbelieving laugh. "I always knew Draco Malfoy's a pain-in-the-arse!" He cried it so triumphantly it made Hermione smile. "Ugh, I won't even mind if it was Crabbe or Goyle who discovered your secret. They do not have enough brain cells to withhold such revelations."

The brunette chuckled, playfully punching his shoulder. "Quit insulting them, Harry," she reprimanded, although her eyes were dancing with slight amusement. "They're not as awful as we used to know. Well… probably buffoons with stomachs that can hold the whole world, but, they're quite… endearing in their own ways."

Harry's face contorted into unadulterated disgust and Hermione had to glare at him hardly. "If you're not going to say anything good, just shut up."

"Shutting up," he grinned cheekily, his hands raised up in defeat.

Hermione released another chuckle before completely pulling herself away from Harry. "Well, I feel much better now," she said. "And it's getting late so I guess we should go back to our own dormitories now, Harry."

The-Boy-Who-Lived, ever melodramatic, placed a mocking hand against his chest and managed to feign hurt on his face. "I'm deeply offended, Miss Granger," he proclaimed, pouting his lips for more effect. "I cannot believe that you only seek for my company whenever you are troubled. What happened to the times when we would just meet and talk nonsensical things? Huh? HUH?"

"Nonsensical things my foot," Hermione muttered with a huge grin on her face. "I appreciate your effort in making me happy, Harry Potter, but sometimes, don't go way overboard, yeah? You irritate me sometimes."

Harry guffawed and affectionately patted her head. "There, there," he said, as if talking to a little dog. "No need to be so blunt today. Aren't you glad I'm willing to embarrass myself just to make you happy? That's how much I love you, Hermione Granger."

She merely shook her head and stood up from the couch. "Go back to the Gryffindor common room," she said once again. "Filch will soon be patrolling this floor." Upon seeing Harry's pout, she chuckled and gave him a kiss on his forehead. "Merlin, immature much? Fine, I love you, too. There. Are you happy now?"

"Very," The-Boy-Who-Lived exclaimed, a huge grin now seen on his face. His expression sobered as he stood up and gave Hermione a hug. "You'll be okay, right?"

Relaxed, Hermione nodded. "I will, Harry. I soon will."

Satisfied, Harry pulled away from their hug and gave her one last wave before bidding her goodbye and walking out of the Room of Requirement.

As soon as Harry was gone, the light and playful ambiance of the room followed him out.

Hermione was left standing there all alone, a huge dark cloud hovering above her head. She released a wistful sigh before following Harry's lead and exiting the Room of Requirement, only this time heading for the other way.

Sometimes, she really wished that Harry would always be by her side.

* * *

It was truly late now, Hermione assumed. Past curfew, to be precise. A few times during her small journey back to the Slytherin common room, she heard footsteps of some patrollers and she swore they were heading off towards her direction. But just when she could finally see their silhouette in the dark, some unimaginable force would tug them towards the opposite direction away from the apprehensive brunette.

It was undeniable. She loved this certain privilege she had.

Sighing, she shook her head to get rid of nonsense from her brain. She once again returned to the most important matter for her – Draco Malfoy. She was actually getting tired of thinking about him again and again, but what could she do? Every time she was alone without any distractions, her mind would wander back into him and instantly feel dreadful.

'_Why him, of all people?' _she asked herself and the cosmic powers above. _'Why him? Why not Blaise. I sure know that he'll __**perfectly **__understand. Or, why not Teddy? For goodness' sake, I can bribe him with sweets so he'll shut up and forgive me completely! But no, it was Draco 'Bloody' Malfoy!' _

An angry noise was emitted from her throat, disturbing some slumbering portraits. Hermione profusely, yet silently apologized as some of them gave her disapproving looks. She hurriedly rushed downstairs, just wanting to slip under her bedcovers and allow sleep to remove her from reality. Maybe, _just maybe_, she would be able to see her parents there.

It was simple thought, a wishful idea even, but it was enough to fuel Hermione's strides and before she knew it, she was staring blankly at the bare wall, which served as the entrance to the Slytherin common room.

"_Vanidicus_," she murmured, her nose wrinkled in annoyance. See, even the Slytherin common room knew what she truly was.

A liar.

Hermione wondered if it was Malfoy who thought of that password, just so he could mock her every time she entered their common room. But then, she would mentally berate herself and logically say to her brain that it was impossible, seeing that only the Head Boy and Girl could change the passwords of all entrance passageways.

The brunette then crossed the threshold while massaging the bridge of her nose in frustration. _'Only a few more steps and you'll be on your bed, Hermione Granger,' _she assured herself. She dropped her hand away from her nose and opened her eyes to continue her trip…

… only to halt midway in astonishment.

Draco Malfoy was sitting on the green carpeted floor of the room, his grey eyes unabashedly staring at the sudden intruder of the common room. Apparently, he was doing his homework in Transfiguration (all alone, it seemed, seeing that nobody was with him) when Hermione finally strode inside the common room and broke his concentration.

Hermione couldn't believe her luck as dread and horror grew at the pit of her stomach. _'I should have waited for a while,' _she berated herself, eyes firmly plastered on the ground. _'Just march, Hermione. Go on. Do not look at him. Think he is not there at all. For Merlin's sake, think he does not exist at all!' _

"Wait!" he called out, but Hermione kept on walking. Her hands were tightly balled into fist; her eyes were burning holes on the floor already but she kept on walking and walking and walking.

"Almost there," she whispered to herself.

"Goddamn it, Granger! I said stop!"

The brunette couldn't help it. She whipped around so fast and shushed him with a mixture of fear and annoyance. "Don't scream my name!" she cried in a furious whisper. Hermione looked around and was relieved that nobody was able to hear him.

Draco glared at her from the coffee table. "Well, you weren't stopping like I ordered you to," he said matter-of-factly.

Hermione rolled her eyes. Typical him. "You can't go ordering me around, Malfoy," she spat back, eyes fiery with anger.

"Watch it, Austen," he said, eyes thinning into slits. "I can call you by… _it_ again and I'll make sure that every single Slytherin in this whole dormitory will be able to hear it."

The brunette clamped her lips together. _Tight_. Her wand hand itched to brandish her magical stick and blast him off into oblivion. But she had to control herself. _'Control, Hermione.' _Judging by his reputation and his expression right now, Draco Malfoy was dead serious.

The disguised Slytherin released a defeated sigh, knowing that Malfoy had the upper hand. And the ferret had the _nerve _to rub it off into her face. _'Ooh, I am so tempted to wipe that smirk off your face, Malfoy. I swear to Merlin. I someday will.' _

Hermione rubbed her eyes tiredly and expectantly stared at Draco. All he did was stare back. "Well?" she asked, after more minutes ticked by. "Why did you stop me, Malfoy? After that… _incident _in the Room of Requirement, I kind of got the message that you don't want to see my face anymore."

Draco quirked an amused smirk. "For a woman who'd been quaking on her boots these past few days, you sure look calm, _Granger_." He whispered it, almost inaudible to her ears, but for safety's sake, she looked around once again.

"Don't call me that," she hissed. Her eyes were wide in fear as her eyes darted towards the doors of her other Housemates. "What if… what if someone heard you?"

"We're all alone, Austen," he said, calling her by her fake surname. "Nobody's here to know that you're a _vanidicus_."

That had struck a nerve and Hermione instantly turned away from him. _'Calm down,' _she told herself once again. _'That's a good girl. Calm down.' _She averted her eyes back to the blond and callously stated, "If you're just going to further judge me tonight, Draco Malfoy, then I'm afraid I have to leave." She turned around, determined to ignore him this time.

"No, no, wait!" he exclaimed. Hermione cursed her feet for following his orders. Thank Merlin her eyes were still following her. She was determined not to look at him.

While her back was facing him, she heard an exhausted sigh. It was soft but Hermione was so sure it was an exhausted one.

"I-I'm…" He paused then sighed. "Look, Austen, why don't you just sit down on the couch and wait for a few moments, okay?"

Hermione was torn. Should she listen to him or not? _'Maybe it's a trap, Hermione,' _her overactive, imaginative side whispered in her left ear. _'Maybe once you're seated on one of those couches, Death Eaters would arrive with Voldemort and imprison you like what he did to your parents.' _

'_Oh, don't be silly, Hermione,' _the logical part of her murmured in her right ear. _'He's part of the Order. He's a spy for Dumbledore, for goodness' sake! Now give me one good reason why you think this is some trap of his.'_

'_Because he hates me?' _the brunette offered and her logical part laughed in disbelief.

She knew it was farfetched. Draco Malfoy might be ruthless and coldhearted and a bastard but he was no way near petty. That was Teddy, not Malfoy. Oh how she wished Malfoy acted like Teddy. She could just bribe him with sweets then everything would be all right.

Hermione sighed, slowly turning around and approaching the couch behind Malfoy. In the end, logic prevailed. Sometimes, she fervently wished that imaginations were real. They would have helped her in tough times like this.

As soon as she was sitting snuggly on the couch, she waited for Draco to speak. His blond hair was facing her, although she could see a small part of his face.

He seemed deep in thought, she reckoned. His mercurial eyes would constantly darken; his teeth constantly worrying his bottom lip. The brunette remembered the time when she stared deeply into his eyes… _'Lovely,' _she absentmindedly thought before catching herself and vigorously shaking her head. _'Get your head back from the cloud, for Merlin's sake, woman!' _

Hermione inaudibly sighed and continued to wait for him to speak. Her eyes once again found themselves surveying the right side of his face. She was surprised to see exhaustion settling once in a while before completely disappearing before her eyes. He looked slightly paler than normal and there were dark bags under his eyes.

The brunette had a feeling that Draco Malfoy had looked this vulnerable before, only she was not entirely sure. After all, there was a comforter obscuring her view of him a few months ago. To her utmost horror, her mouth opened and voiced out the question that formulated in her mind. "Did something happen to your mother today?"

Draco looked astonished as he looked at her with wide eyes, mouth agape. Hermione faintly colored, mentally berating herself for being too inquisitive for her own good.

"How did you - ?" His voice faltered. His eyes were now curiously surveying Hermione from head to toe before shaking his head in disbelief. He averted his eyes away from Hermione back to his Transfiguration essay. "I don't even want to know." He finally said.

Hermione's blush darkened. And to her immense dreadfulness, her mouth decided to make a fool out of herself. _Again_.

"I-I'm sorry," she stuttered out, her eyes widening every second. "I'm being inquisitive, aren't I? It's none of my business, Merlin Almighty!" Color was slowly draining from her face. "A-and, I'm sorry about all this 'I'm Hermes Austen' crap! I'm sorry! I told you perfectly well, Malfoy, that I'm not doing this for my own benefit. Well, a little, a guess… but that's beyond my point! What I'm trying to say is that stop judging me for being such a _deceitful bitch _and lying to you, to Blaise, to Teddy, to everyone else! I'm doing this for my parents! I want to save them from your Lord Bastard, you understand, huh? I'm so scared someone's going to get hurt because of saving them so I'm risking my _fucking _life just so I could save them from that _bastard_. I'm sorry, it's just that…"

Her voice faltered and Hermione was so surprised she was panting, greedily gulping oxygen for her exhausted lungs. She couldn't believe her calm demeanor suddenly broke and she ranted so much to Draco Malfoy… _Draco Malfoy_! She blamed it to apprehension. Perhaps she suddenly contracted a virus of verbal diarrhea? Maybe she could also blame her horror. Or mostly because of exhaustion… she was tired of lying to everybody. Merlin, she was tired of also lying to herself.

To her utmost horror, her eyes watered and she immediately looked away, not wanting to further embarrass herself in front of Malfoy.

"I… understand."

Those two soft words uttered by Malfoy made a tear slip down from Hermione's eyes. From relief, she guessed. She hastily wiped it away and looked at Malfoy, question in her eyes.

She could see the confusion on his face. She could see that he was struggling for words. She could also see something indecipherable on his face but before she could delve deeper into that, Malfoy continued to talk. "You – you don't have to apologize. You are right and your reason for your pretense is _undoubtedly _acceptable. I was just being… irrational, I guess. I mean, who wouldn't when you saw a person that was supposedly dead for two months already? It's just that seeing you alive is… _weird_."

A smile formed on Hermione's lips, regardless of the gathering tears in her eyes. It seemed like the logical part of Draco Malfoy had prevailed, too.

"I'm… sorry," he stuttered out. Hermione appreciated the effort it took him just to utter those two words. "It's just that there are a lot of things happening already and I'm _so _tired. I just…" His voice faltered once again as he buried his face into his arms on the coffee table. "I'm such a bastard, yeah?"

"You have no idea," she answered back. A smile practically enveloped her whole face when she heard his low, muffled chuckle.

Silence settled between the two. Draco's head was still buried into his arms whilst Hermione unconsciously stared at him, a thoughtful look on her face.

Before, Hermione firmly believed that every man has something good in them (except Voldemort for the brunette never treated him as a human being). But then, she met Draco Malfoy. For years, she tried to find at least one _pleasant _thing about him but in the end, she never found anything.

None. Nix. Nada. Nil. _Nothing_.

And thus, she reacted accordingly upon knowing that he would be her roommate for her last ten months in Hogwarts.

But then, she came to know more about him. His unbreakable friendship with Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott, his undying love for his mother (therefore, he changed sides), his hatred for a monster he used to believed was the one being in the whole world who was doing the Purebloods a favor… Everything new about him.

She realized that those were _pleasant _things of Draco Malfoy.

Hermione slowly shook her head in disbelief. She could not believe that her heart would someday soften for none other than Draco Malfoy. _'Who would have thought?' _she asked herself. "Malfoy," she started in a whisper. "Thank you very much."

She waited for any answer from him but in the end received none. A frown grew on Hermione's face as she crouched lower, her face mere inches from Draco's shoulder. "Malfoy?" she asked again, only to receive silence once again.

The frown on her face grew into a small smile upon noticing his deep, calm breaths. He was already sleeping.

The brunette presumed that he really had a long day and she did not have the heart to wake him up. And so, without really putting much thought into it, she stood up from the couch and sprinted quietly towards their room.

Her arrival was unnoticed, seeing that her other two roommates were fast asleep. A disbelieving smile appeared on her face once her eyes landed on Teddy's slumbering form. His comforter was pooled on the floor, covering filth instead of the carefree Slytherin. Teddy moved too much when he slept and every morning, he'd complain of being cold.

Hermione slowly approached his bed, bent down to retrieve his comforter, and gently tucked him under it. Teddy released a satisfied sound, snuggled deeper into his comforter, and continued to sleep. The brunette wondered if he was dreaming of something pleasant.

Her eyes then landed on Blaise's bed. He was the complete opposite of Teddy, sleeping stock-still with his comforter fully covering him. One thing that always bothered Hermione was that the Italian tended to leave a candle alight. She knew that most of the time, Blaise did his nightly ritual in the library but sometimes, he'd stay in his bed and continue reading an interesting book, thus, forgetting to extinguish the candle as soon as he fell asleep.

She slowly shook her head as she approached the bed beside Teddy's. Hermione then blew off the light and soon, the whole room grew dark.

Satisfied with her work, she walked towards Draco's bed, grabbed his comforter, and walked out of their room again.

Draco was still fast asleep when she arrived. Hermione merely placed the comforter around his shoulder. She capped his ink bottle, scrolled his finished Transfiguration essay, and neatly stacked all of his books on top of the coffee table.

As soon as she was done, Hermione's eyes landed back on the blond. He was peaceful when he slept; no stress lines or scowls were visible on his face. The brunette immediately looked away, surprised and embarrassed with the sudden coloring of her cheek. She blamed it on exhaustion.

"Goodnight, Draco Malfoy," she murmured before strolling back to their room to welcome the beckoning of sleep.

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Teddy and Blaise were blatantly staring at Draco as he greeted them a cheerful "good morning" and sat down opposite Hermione. Teddy's jaw even dropped when the brunette muttered a soft "good morning", which Draco answered with a smirk on his face. He was just so used to seeing him scowl at his roommate every time his eyes lay upon her.

"Doing some advanced reading now, huh, Austen?" the blond asked, the smirk still visible on his face. Hermione did not answer back, although her lips slightly quirked up for a smirk of her own.

"Don't you find it so weird, Blaise?" Teddy hollered loudly. "Draco's eating with us again."

Blaise merely looked from Hermione back to Draco before looking back at his breakfast, a frown marring his handsome face. Teddy seemed bothered at first, but then let his strange look slip away. Instead, he settled his eyes back on his studying friend and inquired, "You seem awfully happy today, Hermes? Did something good happen?"

Hermione, for the first time, looked up from her Potions book. Her eyes met Draco for a fleeting second before looking back at her carefree roommate, a full-blown smile now on her face. "I just read a wonderful book last night, Teddy, and I can't help but recall it once in a while." She shifted her body so she would be fully facing Blaise. "It's an interesting one, Blaise. I highly recommend it. I can lend it to you, you know? For your nightly rituals."

The Italian smiled. "That'll be nice," he answered, before returning back to his meal again.

Teddy, a little satisfied with the brunette's answer, now looked at Draco. It was astonishing to see that the smirk he was sporting just a while ago had turned into a _real _smile. The blond rarely smiled, even for him; the last time he had seen Draco smile was _ages _ago… and that was because Hermione Granger had insulted Pansy Parkinson's appearance.

Hermione Granger… Teddy's eyes narrowed. He always knew that deceased witch held a special place in his best friend's heart. Draco never confessed it; sometimes, he actually thought he was just imagining things when he sometimes saw him staring (secretly) at the unsuspecting Gryffindor, unmistakable adoration in his eyes.

It was… unnerving, to say the least.

"You seem awfully happy, too, Draco," Teddy announced, a frown now gracing his features. "I've never seen you so happy like that ever since Hermione Granger died."

And the next thing Theodore Nott knew, his face was swimming in his porridge bowl. He lifted up his face, sputtering, and stared irritably at his best friend. "What the _fuck _did you do that for?" he cried, haphazardly wiping his face with his hand.

But Draco seemed not to hear his words as he stared openly at Hermes, shock written all over his face. Through his porridge-soaked face, he was also able to see Blaise looking at Hermes with an equally horrified look on his face.

Hermione, on the other hand, seemed surprised with the sudden attention she was getting. "What?" she asked defensively. "Did I do something wrong?"

Draco looked murderous, although greatly relieved. Apparently, Hermione was too preoccupied with her Potions text book.

He then whipped his head and stared directly at Teddy. The carefree Slytherin cowered, fear flashing in his eyes. "Please don't kill me," he squeaked, arms raised up in defense.

"Learn to shut that big, fat trap of yours, Theodore Nott, before speaking to me again." And with that, he turned around and trudged out of the Great Hall.

"Give him some time to cool down," Blaise piped in as soon as Draco's blond hair was out of sight. "You know how he drives mad every time you say _her_ name, right?"

"What? What am I missing?" Hermione exclaimed in a rush, looking from Blaise to Teddy. "Whose name? What?"

The Italian merely shook his head and stood up. "I'm going back to our room now." He followed Draco's lead and was soon out of the Great Hall.

Hermione then turned to a baffled Teddy. "You okay?"

The Slytherin scratched his head in wonder. "What's up with those two?" he mused aloud. Teddy heaved a huge sigh, brandished his wand, and completely cleaned off the porridge from his face. "Why do I even bother asking? Don't mind me, Hermes. Continue reading. I'll feed this _big, fat trap _of mine some food."

The brunette oddly stared at Teddy but followed him, nonetheless.

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**A/N: Aww, they made up already. ****Isn't that adorable? Haha, I absolutely loved Draco Malfoy in this chapter. Um, probably a hint of Dramione romance? Hmm… and what was that about being "awfully happy"?**

**Wah, the action is about to start. A few more chapters, I guess.**

**Anyway, I'm sorry I'm not able to, yet again, compose review responses to all those who reviewed the last chapter (thank you, by the way). I've been awfully busy these past few days, especially since our promenade just ended… WHOA, I can't believe it really is done! I had so much fun, for your information. My friends were awesome, the food was damn delicious, my date was a perfect gentleman (who knew there are still guys like him out there) and, well, I had soooo much fun I was really sad it ended already. **

**So, I am going to end it here already. Again, please do review!**

**With love,  
****2booklover4 :D**


	19. How to Be a Death Eater

**Disclaimer: Meh, still not mine. **

**A/N: And, I'm back! Here's the next chapter of **_**Only a Pretense**_**. Please review afterwards. Do enjoy!**

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**Chapter Nineteen: How to be a Death Eater**

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Hermione was strolling along an empty corridor, her expression a mixture of confusion and worry. A fortnight had already passed ever since Draco discovered her true identity and accepted it. But then, as more days passed by, she noticed some weird behaviors manifested by her Housemates.

It was minute at first. Hermione actually believed that it had something to do with stress and whatnot. Teddy was noticeably more somber than before. He rarely cracked any jokes and if he did, they were worse than Ron's own jokes. And _that _was saying something.

Blaise, on the other hand, had a permanent frown visible on his face. He was cranky, for goodness' sake. The sweet and kind Blaise Zabini she always saw in the Slytherin common room seemed changed. When asked by the brunette, he blamed it on stress and the fact that their new practice tests were looming. And Hermione, ever the innocent one, believed him.

And then there was Draco Malfoy… Ever since he discovered that she was Hermione Granger, he started to cease his insults and mockeries. Instead, he would say a teasing remark and Hermione, amused, would answer a witty comeback. But then, she had noticed that he seemed more stressed out than before, even more stressed than Blaise, and it had greatly worried her. There were times when she caught him looking thoughtfully on his left arm, then to both Blaise and Teddy, before catching himself and looking away. His actions were bizarre and Hermione wanted to badly ask him what was wrong, but she never found the opportunity to interrogate him.

And now, she was walking in an empty corridor, determined to reach her destination unnoticed. Just this morning, Professor Dumbledore had given her an unsigned letter, stating that she should meet him in the Headmaster's Office thirty minutes past curfew. Judging by his hasty letter, Hermione assumed that their meeting was urgent.

As soon as her three roommates grew dead to the world, she sneaked out of the Slytherin common room and hastily went to Dumbledore's office.

Finally, she arrived at the gargoyle statue that guarded the Headmaster's Office.

"Vanilla Surprise," she murmured. The statue sprang into life and made way for the brunette. The wall opened into two, revealing the moving staircase, and Hermione jumped on it and was soon brought up.

She stepped out of the staircase and gingerly knocked on the oak-wooden door separating her from Professor Dumbledore. She distinctly heard a soft 'come in', which she followed, and soon, she found herself once again inside the Headmaster's room.

Nothing changed at all, she reckoned. Everything seemed on their right places the last time she visited Dumbledore's office.

"Miss Granger, please take a seat," Dumbledore said, drawing Hermione's eyes towards him.

The brunette frowned upon seeing the Headmaster's face. He, like her other Slytherin Housemates, seemed stressed out over something she could not understand. Dumbledore looked older than his supposed age. A question was bubbling at the tip of her tongue but she clamped her lips shut and merely sat down on the chair opposite her teacher.

"Lemon Drops?" he offered, which Hermione politely declined. She had been eating Lemon Drops given to her by Teddy and she was so sick of it already.

She then expectantly looked at Dumbledore, waiting for him to explain the reason for this urgent meeting. Hermione allowed him to put his desk in order first, stacking papers and aligning quills here and there. Finally, the silence seemed unbearable to her already.

"Is there something you want, Professor?" she asked as politely as she could. "It's been weeks ever since you asked me to come and meet you."

Dumbledore sighed and removed his half-moon spectacles. He gingerly cleaned the glasses with the hem of his sleeves before perching it back on his crooked nose. His electric blue orbs then met Hermione, seriousness written all over his face. "How are you, Miss Granger?"

Hermione frowned. _'Surely, he never asked me to meet him at the middle of the night just so he could ask me that, right?' _she asked herself. Instead of voicing out her opinion, Hermione merely shrugged and answered, "Never been better, Headmaster. Although, I must confess, I am a little stressed out, seeing that the teachers are going to give us another batch of practice tests."

"I apologize for being bothersome and depriving you a few moments of studying for your tests, Miss Granger. But this meeting is of extreme importance and I cannot wait for another time to inform you some news I had gathered from our faithful spies," he said.

'_Spies?' _she asked, worry becoming evident on her face. Spies, meaning, Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy. "Is something the matter, sir?" Hermione was slightly leaning towards the desk now, alarmed. "Did… something happen to my… pa-parents?"

Horror settled at the pit of her stomach. If it was truly something about her parents, then she'd rather not hear about it right there and then.

To her immense relief, Dumbledore shook his head for his reply. "No, no, Miss Granger. You're parents, although they are not in good hands, are still alive. You should keep in mind that if Voldemort killed your parents, then he'd lost an extremely valuable weapon against us."

"Then… what? What is the reason why I'm here, Professor?" she asked, her worry slightly diminishing.

Dumbledore once again sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "According to Severus, Tom is once again recruiting new Death Eaters to join his followers. The initiation day will happen a week from now."

Hermione instantly paled. She unconsciously balled both of her hands into fists. "Recruiting… Death Eaters?" she asked breathlessly. Both knew of her unspoken understanding.

It was time for her to be one - to be a Death Eater.

The brunette had almost forgotten that she was not only supposed to be a Slytherin. She needed to be a _Death Eater_, too. In order to save her parents, she had to risk more.

When Harry told her ages ago that Voldemort would be possibly recruiting new Death Eaters, she was positively thrilled. It meant that she was closer to saving her parents. But now… now that Dumbledore was telling her that a week from now she could make or break her purpose, she felt downright dreadful.

"Yes, Miss Granger," Dumbledore tiredly answered. "And I fully remember that you voiced out your plea to become one."

Hermione nervously gulped and refused to stare straight at Dumbledore. _'Is that the reason why almost all of my Housemates are behaving so oddly these past few weeks? Is that the reason why Teddy and Blaise seemed so out-of-character?' _Deep down, she knew the answer.

The disguised brunette then looked up once again and met Dumbledore's eyes. "Will Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini join, too?" she asked, dreading his answer.

Her heart plummeted to the ground when the Headmaster nodded his head for confirmation. "According to young Mister Malfoy's report, a quarter of the seventh year Slytherins, including some of the fifth and sixth year students, are hoping to be part of Voldemort's Death Eaters."

"Fifth years?" she asked in surprised. "But they are so… young."

"Miss Granger, do remember that we are talking about Purebloods here," Dumbledore said. "Age does not matter when it comes to serving their so-called lord. It is indeed horrible, but being part of his ranks is an honor to them."

A slight wave of nausea washed over her form and she had to rub her temples just so she could calm herself down.

"You are to accompany Mister Malfoy and the others to the Death Eater's lair and be initiated as one," he continued. It was evident that he had to struggle to say all those words to the brunette.

Hermione, not trusting herself to speak, merely nodded.

"Are you all right, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked. When she did not answer, he sighed. "You still have a choice, my dear student. You can back out, if you must. I am a selfish Headmaster and I want all of my students to be safe from harm. But I cannot stop the others, Miss Granger. It's beyond my control. It is their family's choice. But you… you can still back out."

The brunette vigorously shook her head, eyes imploring. "You know I can't, Professor," she said, although her voice was lacking conviction. "This is the only way I can truly save my parents. And you know that. I… I have to do this. I'm aware that this is extremely dangerous, sir, and if I were to fail, I might… _die_. But this is my only chance."

Dumbledore sighed tiredly once again. It seemed like he was awfully sighing once Hermione Granger became a disguised student. "If you must, Miss Granger, then I am afraid I cannot stop you anymore," he said in defeat. "Although, please take note that I am strongly against this."

"I'm not asking you to agree with me," she said. "All I'm asking for you is to trust me, Headmaster. I am the smartest witch of my age, for goodness' sake! I can do this!"

The old man chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. "Whatever you say, Miss Granger. Whatever you say."

His grandfather clock rang all over his office as soon as it turned midnight.

"I believe I have kept you a bit too long than what I had initially planned," he said, slowly rising up from his seat. Hermione followed suit and was soon on her feet. "It is best if you returned to your common room now. Goodnight, Miss Granger."

Hermione inclined her head for a bit. "Goodnight to you, too, Professor. And thank you for your news. It had helped me." Upon receiving a nod of thanks from the old man, she turned around and walked out of the Headmaster's Office, leaving an extremely worried professor.

"I just hope that all things will end well, Miss Granger," he whispered to the air, before turning around and leaving for his quarters.

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"Psst… Psst, Malfoy! Psst!"

Draco's head snapped up, alarmed, and looked around the library. He spotted the familiar brunette hair of his roommate, Hermes Austen, whom he discovered was actually Hermione Granger in disguise. He rolled his eyes, looked back at his Transfiguration textbook, and ignored the annoying nuisance.

"Psst… Malfoy! Merlin, psst!"

"What do you want?" he snarled furiously, glaring at the sheepish brunette. "Can't you see I'm studying?"

Hermione rubbed the back of her neck and looked around. "Are you here with someone? Is Teddy or Blaise with you?" she asked, a little apprehensive.

"I'm talking with my imaginary friend, Jim… No, Austen, I'm perfectly alone. Can't you see? Now leave me alone so that I can study in peace." Once again, Draco looked away from Hermione and back to his textbook. Unbeknownst to him, a small smirk was tugging at the corner of his mouth.

The blond pretended to read for a bit. He was distracted as soon as he saw his wimpy roommate. He felt strangely pleased once he heard her familiar footsteps. The chair across from him scraped against the stone floor of the library and soon, Hermione Granger was plopped on it and was looking at him seriously.

Draco feigned irritation and sighed, looking up from his book. "What do you want, Granger?" he asked.

Hermione grew alarmed and was whipping her head right and left. Upon seeing that he was not heard, she looked back at Malfoy and glared. "Don't call me that when we're in public places, Malfoy," she reprimanded. "Actually, don't call me that at all. We can't risk anyone discovering my secret now, can we?"

He rolled his eyes and waved a dismissive hand before returning back to his book. But then, Hermione ripped the book away from him and gently placed it on her lap, away from the blond.

The blond looked at her irritably. "What do you want, _Austen_?" he snarled, eyeing his Transfiguration book witheringly. He knew he couldn't look at his book properly for weeks, knowing that it came in contact with the brunette's thighs…

He scowled darkly and hid his blush away from Hermione. Ever since he discovered her true identity, his imagination seemed working overdrive once again. Goddamn it, even his testosterones. Sure, she looked perfectly boyish to him, albeit an effeminate one, but knowing that she was Hermione Granger, _the _Hermione Granger, his hormones seemed ecstatic.

"Look, Malfoy, I need to talk to you. And this is extremely _urgent_," she hushed frantically, snapping Draco off his musings.

She was apprehensive, he noticed, and soon he was seriously looking directly at her. "Spit it out," he said, frowning. "Judging by that weird expression of yours, this thing is bothering you."

Hermione sighed and massaged her temples before looking back at the blond. She made sure that no one was there to eavesdrop. She then leaned slightly forward. "I heard your Dark Lord will be recruiting new Death Eaters next week."

Draco's jaw dropped and his eyes enlarged. He frantically looked around, a crazed look on his face, before settling back on he brunette. "Where the hell did you hear that?" he hissed, his hand involuntarily shooting up towards Hermione and tightly gripping her right wrist.

"Malfoy, _I _know, remember? I told you on the day that you confronted me," she assured him, absentmindedly patting his suddenly clammy hand enclosing her wrist. "I know what you are and I know what you've _become_." She flinched when his eyes darkened and his hold tightened. "Dumbledore told me."

His grip slackened and Hermione immediately pulled her nearly injured wrist away. Draco looked murderous and she was afraid that if she provoked him more, she would be the receiving end of his wand.

"That old nincompoop," he growled darkly whilst gritting his teeth. "I perfectly told him not to tell anyone, except Uncle Severus."

To her surprise, she managed to smile. "Guess we're even now, huh? You, knowing my true identity and me, knowing where you're true loyalty lie…"

"Don't say that when we're in public places!" he exclaimed, mimicking what she had told him a while ago. Hermione only smirked and shrugged.

Draco heaved a huge sigh and shook his head. "I don't even know why he told you that, of all people," he said in disbelief.

The brunette merely waved her hand dismissively. Then, Hermione's face grew serious and her voice dropped a few more octaves. "So, he's really recruiting new followers, right?"

The blond looked at her in contemplation. She seemed determined and nervous at the same time. But because of what? "So what if he is?" he asked, slightly frowning. "It's none of your business."

"It is," she insisted.

"What?" he asked. His eyebrows slowly joined together in confusion. "Why?"

Hermione heaved a huge sigh this time and placed her chin on top of her hand. "I told you I have to save my parents, didn't I?" she asked and he nodded in confirmation. "That's not the end of it, Malfoy. I just didn't disguise myself to become a Slytherin. There's more reason to it."

Draco bit his lip. He had a slightly inkling feeling where their conversation would be going.

"I'm planning to be a Death Eater myself." She said it so softly Draco had to strain his ears just so he could hear it. But once her uttered words reached his ears, he pulled back not-so-gently and his chair toppled on the floor.

The brunette looked at him, surprised. The murderous look on his face came back once again. She watched as he calmed himself down by taking a few deep breaths before righting his toppled chair and sitting on it again.

"Stop joking around, Austen. This isn't a joking matter," he hissed, annoyed.

"I'm not joking," she protested, equally annoyed herself. "Malfoy, it had been my plan all along. Dumbledore and Harry knew all about this."

"And they agreed?" he asked. Hermione was surprised when his face morphed from being murderous to disgust.

She vigorously shook her head. "No, no, I can't say that they fully concurred," she said. "But what can they do? This is my plan and no one's going to stop me."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Typical," he spat. Upon seeing her affronted look, he glared. "Granger," he continued, forgetting that she perfectly told him not to call her that in public, "this is _dangerous_. Being a Death Eater is _dangerous_."

Her face hardened. "I know that," she said, running a hand through her boyish hair. "Of course, I know that. And I just told you to stop calling me… _that _when we're in public!"

The blond ignored her last comment. "This isn't a simple matter," he added. "I mean, you can't just decide to be one with just a snap of your fingers. I was destined to be one, ever since. Theo and Blaise were destined to be one. Almost all of the Slytherins were destined to be one. But not you… not you, Austen."

"I'll learn to be one," she claimed, a stubborn pout on her face. "I'll train hard and… and know more information about this so-called Death Eaters."

Draco, to her surprise, released a hollow laugh. "Austen, you can't just learn to be one in a span of a week. There's no book entitled 'How to be a Death Eater' written by the Dark Bastard himself so that anyone can just read it if they feel like they wanted to become one." He shook his head. "No, you have to be constantly reminded by someone that you are supposed to be one ever since you were small. You have to be brainwashed and such at a very young age to fully follow that bloody monster and become a Death Eater once you grow up."

Hermione would be lying if she would say she was not astonished with Draco Malfoy's little speech. It was clear that it was dripping with sarcasm, insulting his supposedly 'lord'. But then, she remembered what he had said… Was it really true that he, Teddy, Blaise, and the other Slytherins were destined to be one once they grew up?

Pity bubbled at the pit of her stomach and she turned her face away from Draco. What if they did not want to be a Death Eater once they grow up? What if they wanted to pursue their own fate and not follow the footsteps of their parents, who blindly followed Voldemort's sick ideology?

Her mind strayed to her roommates. What would happen to them if they became Death Eaters? Would Teddy still be his typical adorable self? Would Blaise still be kind and charming?

Her eyes wandered back on Malfoy. He had changed, she reckoned, ever since their sixth year began – the year when she discovered that Draco Malfoy had been made into a Death Eater by Voldemort. He seemed… lifeless. She remembered those haunting grey eyes, those empty laughs he released… his hopelessness. Did he really want to be a Death Eater himself?

Strangely, she started to grow fearful. Would she change, too, if she became a Death Eater? Would she be brainwashed, like the other Slytherins, to hate Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore? Would she be able to hang-out with her Gryffindor friends and fight for things she believed in?

'_Get a grip of yourself, Hermione Granger!' _she scolded herself. _'This is for the sake of your parents! It's too late to back-out now. Stop being so selfish!' _

"I…" she started. Draco's eyes locked with hers and she held it unwaveringly. "I… want to become one, Malfoy. No, I _have _to becomeone."

Draco held her gaze for a few more minutes, before breaking their staring contest. He flashed a humored smirk and shook his head. "There's a reason why Ol' Voldie is wary of recruiting Gryffindors, you know. They might start some uprisings and such with their stubbornness." He sighed and ran a hand through his blond hair. "Anything for your parents, huh?"

Hermione vigorously nodded her head. "Anything for them," she said.

He gazed at her calculatingly before sighing once again. "Fine," he said, although he seemed reluctant. "If you want to be one, then be prepared on Saturday at exactly ten o'clock in the evening. I was assigned to lead all those who wished to be Death Eaters to our Headquarters."

The brunette nodded once again, a smile now on her face. "Thank you, Draco Malfoy," she said, in which he merely answered with a wave of his hand.

"I'm not going to ask anymore why you are willing to sacrifice even your innocence, Granger," he said, ignoring her sudden glare.

"This is no biggie compared to sacrificing my identity and femininity, Malfoy," she shot back. "I mean, I had to watch my own funeral, for goodness' sake!"

Draco chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Just do remember that you might forget who you truly are once you become a Death Eater, Austen," he said, now a bit seriously.

Hermione, for some reason, was compelled to ask him a question. "If… that is true," she started, "then who is the true you? Who is the true Draco Malfoy?"

He seemed surprised with her question. Once again, he gave her a calculating look before giving her a wry smile. "You know what? Even I do not know him anymore."

Her mouth slightly opened with his surprising answer. _'Did he just say that?' _she asked herself, now biting her bottom lip.

She was not given any chance to delve deeper on his answer once the bell signaling curfew rang loudly all over the library. Draco gathered all of his things on top of the table and dumped them messily inside his bag. "Better get going if you don't want to clean the trophy room, Austen." And with that, he ran out of the library.

Hermione stayed for a few more minutes before standing up, and leisurely strolled back to their common room.

After their conversation today, it made Hermione feel weird that she was starting to see Draco Malfoy in a new light.

"Odd," she said, before shaking her head and continuing her journey back to the common room in silence.

**

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**

Harry sighed for the umpteenth time and Hermione was getting sick of it. "Stop it, will you?" she snarled, although her voice was lacking her desired frustration.

Once again, they were in the Room of Requirement. Harry had sent her an urgent letter, telling her to meet with him as soon as possible. Apparently, he had heard about the Death Eater news from Dumbledore and he wanted to hear Hermione's confirmation.

Which she did, and after that, Harry Potter sighed every other minute.

The Gryffindor shifted on the comfortable couch, his body now fully facing Hermione. The brunette could see his imploring eyes… he looked distressed.

He opened his mouth and Hermione waited for him to say anything. But then, he merely closed it once again. He would open and close his mouth again and again and finally, he released a strangled moan before launching himself into Hermione and enveloping her into a very tight hug.

"Listen, Hermione Granger, and listen well," he started seriously. "If something… terrible happens to you – God forbid – I won't hesitate but to tell you a resounding 'I told you so'. And no, you can't _fucking _stop me. Am I making myself clear?"

This time, it was the brunette incognito who sighed. Trust Harry Potter to curse every time he was in distress. "I understand," she said, rubbing a comforting hand on his back. "I'll take care of myself, Harry. I promise. And besides, Teddy, Blaise, and Malfoy will be with me."

"It's just…" His voice faltered and he released – _'Surprise!' _Hermione's mind screamed – another sigh. The-Boy-Who-Lived then released a groan and pulled Hermione away from him, his eyes deeply gazing into hers. His lips curled into a grimace before he released her shoulders, his hands falling limply onto his lap.

"I'm tired," he claimed, gingerly standing up from the couch. "I'm going to bed now, okay? Goodnight, Hermione."

"Harry…"

He raised a hand to stop her. "No, no, I'm thinking irrationally and selfishly now. I'm afraid that if I continued to stay here with you, I'll blurt out stupid things and just hurt your feelings." He turned around and looked squarely in her eyes. Hermione flinched upon seeing the extreme hurt in his emerald orbs. "I just… I just want you back _alive_, okay, Hermione? And I want you to continue being just the way you are, even if Voldemort is controlling you. Promise me that, please?"

Hermione vigorously nodded her head. "I… I promise, Harry. I promise I'll still be your best friend Hermione Granger after everything's done, okay? Keep that in mind."

Harry nodded once again and bent down to give her a kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight," he said once again.

The brunette bid him goodnight herself. Harry walked out of the Room of Requirement to go back to the Gryffindor common room. Hermione followed his lead and walked out of the Room of Requirement, this time to go back to the Slytherin common room.

'_Someday,' _she firmly told herself. _'Someday, I'll be walking with you back to the Gryffindor common room, Harry Potter. You just wait.' _

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**A/N: Woot, it's done! What do you think? Haha, please tell me in your reviews.**

**Lol, I received reviews stating that somehow, they wished this was a Teddy/Mione fic instead. As much as I love my adorable Teddy here in this fic, Draco Malfoy will always be number one in my heart – ahem – **_**my **_**Hermione Granger in my fics. BUT, I was bitten by some random plot bunny two or three days ago and again, it's Dramione. And I was thinking of making it a love triangle between the three. My Draco/Hermione/Blaise love triangle waned after I made Teddy Nott for Only a Pretense. So… yeah, I'm still considering it. **

**Anyway, again, as you've noticed, I didn't post any review responses. I know I'm being monotonous and all but again, school's been hellish. Two more weeks before summer and I cannot WAIT. So, don't worry, review responses will be back soon.**

**That's it for now, I guess. Again, please review!**

**With love,  
****2booklover4**

**P.S. Oh, right! I just want to thank all those who're still reviewing my other stories, especially "11 Things" and "Married Today". Good god, I finished those fics ages ago but they're still receiving love from you guys. Thank you very much! 2bl4 :p**


	20. Initiation

**Disclaimer: I changed my username and all but still, I'm no JK Rowling. Boo me :(**

**A/N: Yay, here's the next chapter of Only a Pretense! Without further ado, I present to all of you, Chapter Twenty. Read and review afterwards! Have fun! :D**

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**Chapter Twenty: Initiation **

"WHAT?"

Hermione stared at her two roommates, astonished. It was four days before the initiation day of the new Death Eaters when she, together with Draco, dropped the bomb to both of her other roommates. She was expecting them to be surprised, all right. But she never expected them to react so violently over something that they'd be taking part of.

"What did you just say?" Blaise asked, trying to keep himself calm. The brunette looked at him curiously, surprised that his usual, unbreakable, cool demeanor broke when she told him about her plan.

"You… you can't." It was Teddy who said that. Hermione averted her eyes away from her Italian friend to Nott and frowned at the sight of his face. It was pallid… the color almost alarming. Hermione was afraid he would faint right there and then.

Hermione, for some strange reason, felt instantly dreadful. She gulped a forming lump in her throat before taking a deep breath. "I-I'm going to try to join the Death Eaters like you t-two," she repeated once again. Her eyes landed on Draco, whose face was void of any emotion. The only indication that he was furious of what was happening was the hardening of his jaw and his crossed arms. Seeing her eyes on him made him more infuriated, thus, he glared.

"Look, guys," the brunette continued, her voice pleading. "I-I have a reason why I'm doing this, okay? Maybe entirely different from the reasons why _both of you _want to become one. But this is important for me… becoming a _Death Eater _is important to me."

Blaise stood up from his bed and started to pace to and fro. "This is dangerous, Hermes. Are you out of your mind?" he exclaimed, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "You can't just decide to become one in a span of a week. We… _we _were trained ever since we're young by our parents to follow their footsteps and be a Death Eater. This is dangerous, I tell you. _Dangerous_."

"That's what I exactly told him, Zabini," Draco piped in callously. Hermione flinched and refused to stare back at his eyes. "But that nuisance is a stubborn bloke. Let him join, if he wants to. Let's just see if he'll stomach the trainings."

"Draco, you can't agree!" Teddy protested, also standing up. "You, of all people, should know the consequences of being that… that _bastard's _minion! Look what he did to you, Draco!"

"Theodore," the blond said with a glare. Teddy pursed his lips and huffed, his eyes now landing on Hermione.

He swiveled around and walked towards Hermione, crouching down so that his eyes would level with hers. "You can't be a Death Eater, Hermes," he beseeched. "You'll… you'll go _mad _if you become one. You'll become someone you don't want to be. I-I'll… I'll give you all of my sweets. Just don't become one, please?"

Hermione shook her head, a small amused smile on her face. "I can't, Teddy." She looked from one of her roommates to the other. "I have to become one." Her eyes landed on Draco. "_You _know I have to become one. I just… I can't tell you the real reason why. Someday, maybe. But not now. I can… I can take care of myself. I'm a big boy! I know more spells than all of you."

Blaise shook his head. "This isn't just about your magical ability, Hermes," he explained. "For goodness' sake, you're _way _better than everybody else here in this school. But, this is about your… your _resolve_. The Dark Lord does not want to have followers with weak hearts." Hermione was about to protest but Blaise raised his hand to stop her. "Let's face it, Hermes. You're too… too _uncorrupted _to become a Death Eater. Teddy's right, you might go madif you become one."

The brunette gritted her teeth and balled her hands into fists. "Fine, let's say I have a bloody _weak heart_," she spat, standing up in slight fury. "But… but, tell me, Blaise. And you, too, Teddy. Do you want to use the Unforgivable curses to other people? No, do you _want _to be a Death Eater yourself?"

Teddy released a soft whimper while Blaise groaned.

"We don't have a choice, Austen," Draco answered for his best friends. Hermione whipped around and glared at the blond. The blond, on the other hand, seemed unfazed. In fact, he gladly returned her glare with his own. "You… you're parents are not forcing you to be one. You have a goddamn choice."

"We've talked about this before, Malfoy," she exclaimed in exasperation. "Anything for them, right?" He looked away from her but she, determined, took a few hasty steps towards his direction and forced him to look back at her orbs. "_Right_, Malfoy?"

Draco stared squarely at her eyes for a few more minutes before he heaved a huge sigh and took a step back away from Hermione, his eyes landing everywhere but her. "You heard what the nuisance said. If he wants to be a Death Eater, let him." He glared at Teddy, who was about to protest. "_Let him_, Nott. In actuality, it's not our business at all. Austen has a reason and that's for him to know and you to find out, okay? Now, can we stop talking about this crap? I'm having a massive headache already and I need to sleep now."

With one last glare of finality, Draco strode towards their private bathroom.

Teddy huffed in annoyance, even glared petulantly at Hermes, before scrambling towards his bed and covering his whole body with his comforter, not even bothering to change from his school uniform.

Hermione stared beseechingly at Blaise. The Italian merely sighed and shook his head. "I hope you know what you're doing, Hermes." With that, he followed Teddy's lead and lied down on his bed, covering his whole body with his comforter.

The brunette looked resignedly at her two roommates. She shook her head, changed into her nightclothes, and crawled into her bed.

'_Yes, Blaise,' _she thought, her mind already shutting down. _'I hope I know what I am __**really **__doing.' _

**

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**

The Malfoy Manor was eerily beautiful. There was something… mysterious surrounding the whole Victorian manor that made her drawn. Hermione found herself gawking stupidly at the gorgeous establishment, her eyes seemingly glued on its perfect structure. If it wasn't for Blaise and Teddy tugging her arms, she would have stayed right there and then and marvel the beauty of the Malfoy Manor.

Today was a Saturday.

Today was the initiation day.

Malfoy had earlier told her she could take a nap for a while, seeing that the induction would happen at ten in the evening. Hermione agreed, even though she knew she wouldn't sleep a wink. Teddy claimed that he was tired, too. Blaise, on the other hand, went to the library for his nightly ritual.

The brunette had an inkling feeling that they had merely stared off into space for hours, waiting with apprehension as ten o'clock drew closer. That was what she certainly did.

Draco had ordered them to get ready once the clock struck to ten. He had hastily instructed them to wear a black cloak to cover themselves. He was anxious the whole time, cursing and snarling every time Hermione became too slow for his own liking. The brunette didn't complain; she knew he was having a hard time.

Once she emerged out of their room, Blaise and Teddy beside her, she was dumbfounded at the amount of people gathered all over the common room. Hermione felt distressed, knowing that there were young ones mingling with them, hoping to make their parents proud and become part of the Death Eaters.

The blond Death Eater then led them towards a secret passageway he had worked on a year ago. It was a Vanishing Cabinet, found in the Room of Requirement, and it gave them some passage to Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley. The alley was almost empty, except for some nocturnal beings roaming around. The brunette did not know if they found their awfully large group suspicious; they never showed any indication. But then again, Hermione had a feeling that they were used to this before.

Draco had led them farther from Knockturn Alley. They arrived at an abandoned shack and inside, there were a couple of portkeys, which would bring them to their destination.

Finally, they arrived.

Hermione's mind was brought back into reality when she heard the creaking sound emitted by the gate of the manor. Despite the hopefuls gathered in front of her, she was able to see Draco, whose hood fell off his blond hair because of his constant movement.

"We're here," Teddy gravely whispered, his right arm instinctively wrapping around Hermione's shoulders.

She looked up at her carefree roommate. Teddy's face was hard with nervousness, Hermione was afraid he'd lose it right there and then. "Teddy…" she faltered. She did not know what to say.

"Come on," Blaise whispered from her other side, absentmindedly gripping her elbow and gently dragging her inside.

If Hermione thought the façade of the Malfoy Manor was beautiful, the inside was ten times more. Everything was absolutely priceless. But then, she was not able to fully appreciate the beauty of the Headquarters of the Death Eaters. Draco had further led them deeper into the house and finally, they arrived at the dungeons.

Screams… Hermione had to force herself to block those god-awful sounds. It was a dungeon, after all. She distinctly wondered if one of those screams belonged to her parents…

_Her parents_. Her back instantly straightened up, an invisible stick supporting her position.

'_Forget the beauty of this house,' _she ordered herself, her eyes narrowing. _'Focus on your purpose, Hermione Granger. Save your parents, for Merlin's sake!' _

The troupe had stopped moving now. The brunette looked all over a dingy room. There was an ornate wooden door on the opposite side of the room, the Malfoy insignia proudly plastered on it.

Draco had looked around, his eyes landing from one Slytherin to the other. Hermione swore his eyes lingered on her direction before he completely looked away. His jaw was firmly clamped once he opened the door, ushering one Slytherin inside.

Hermione saw his hood slip off his head and softly gasped. _'Ivan Raft,' _she thought, grimacing. He was an extremely friendly sixth year and she wondered what would happen to him once he became a member of the Death Eaters.

He had been out for half an hour. The brunette tried to strain her ears just so she could hear anything but there were no sounds. She assumed Malfoy or some other Death Eaters enchanted the initiation room to be soundproofed and such.

The population of the waiting room had been decreasing as more hours passed by. Some stayed there for as short as fifteen minutes. Others had to stay a whooping one hour and thirty minutes before the next hopeful was called.

Blaise had been called earlier than Teddy and her. The brunette, gripped with sudden terror, squeezed the Italian's arm both for his comfort and _hers_. Teddy had turned extremely pallid as he struggled to say a soft 'good luck' to his best mate. All that ever came out from his mouth was a bunch of gibberish.

Hermione was able to see how Draco placed a hand on Blaise's shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze. She looked away, her eyes awfully watering. Malfoy's expression as he gazed at his best friend was heart-wrenching. It seemed like he was seeing his best friend for the last time before he was put into death.

A couple more wannabes walked inside after Blaise and soon, only she and Teddy were left.

"Theo," Draco croaked. He cleared his throat and ushered him.

The once carefree Slytherin stood rooted on the spot. Hermione gave him a gentle push and he looked at her, terrified. "It'll be all right, Teddy. You can do it," she said. Only Merlin knows what she meant by _it_.

"How about a brief hug, huh, Hermes?" he offered weakly, a soft chuckle escaping from his mouth. Right now, his apprehension for his sudden newfound feelings for Hermes Austen be damned. For him, this was a life and death situation and just for now, he could be selfish all he wanted.

Teddy was surprised when his roommate gave him his wish. His cheeks splashed with red and he seemed to calm down a bit. "Thanks," he whispered, awkwardly patting Hermione's back. "I need this." He then gently pushed her away from him and determinedly strode towards his waiting best friend.

"You better treat me some sweets after I became one like you," he said, a weak smile on his face. "You promised."

Draco smirked and playfully ruffled his head. "Of course." He then ushered him inside and finally left him and Hermione alone.

Silence ensued at first. Both never dared to at least make a small sound to break the peaceful silence. Hermione chose to scrutinize the every curve and lines of the stone, cold floor. It was Draco who broke it.

"Nervous, Gr – _nuisance_?" he covered up quickly. They were in the Headquarters of Voldemort, after all. One wrong move would _most probably _be monitored.

Hermione's head shot up and her eyes stared intently into Malfoy's mercurial orbs. "Would you believe me if I say no?" she feebly asked.

He shook his head.

"I didn't think so," she said, softly chuckling. Hermione nervously wrung her wrist and broke their eye contact. "To tell you the truth, I'm scared _shitless_, Malfoy. And cursing now means I truly am." She nervously shuffled her feet and continued, "I'm terrified and I don't even know what will happen once I stepped out of this room. Ca-can you tell me?"

Her eyes sought for his. "I… can't," he said. He released a hollow laugh and ran a hand through his hair – he was frustrated. "If I do, I'd be telling each and every person in this room what they should expect for their initiation day." He grew grave as he took a few steps towards Hermione.

He stopped when he was a few feet away. "You… just, be ready for anything, huh, Austen?" he said. Hermione noticed that his hands were balled into tight fists in his sides. "There won't be brewing of advance potions or answering a three hundred-itemed test as fast as you can."

Hermione laughed and shook her head. "Silly, Malfoy. Of course I know that," she said. She calmed down a bit, although a smile was still on her face. "I'm assuming my parents are here, right?" she asked rhetorically and looked around the whole room. "I can… feel their presence." She shrugged and rubbed the back of her neck. "Gives me some more motivation to do my very best."

Malfoy was never given any chance to retort something back. Instead, his back went straighter than before and his eyes narrowed in worry. "Nott's initiation is done," he stated, turning around and slowly approaching the door. "He's calling for the last hopeful."

He stopped, turned around, and stared squarely into Hermione's eyes. "Do the best you can, Austen," he reminded. "Anything for them, right?"

The brunette, despite the sudden nausea she felt, nodded her head vigorously. "Anything for them."

She determinedly strode towards the door. Draco opened the door for her and she gave him a small smile before stepping inside.

**

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**

Teddy stumbled off the threshold. Blaise, who was the nearest to him, grabbed his left arm to steady him. The carefree Slytherin hissed at him, his left arm still fresh with his new tattoo. "Oi, anywhere but there!" he exclaimed, cradling his sore arm.

Draco rolled his eyes and ushered Hermione inside their room in Hogwarts.

They had finally arrived back. The initiation was done and they all went back to Hogwarts at one in the morning. Teddy had been complaining about his exhaustion; the fact that he stumbled while going inside their room was enough proof.

"Being melodramatic now, aren't you?" Blaise asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. He, too, was absentmindedly rubbing the branded Dark Mark on his left arm. He strode towards his bed and sat down on it, looking from one of his roommates to the other.

Teddy mimicked his actions and sat down on his own bed, his expression now turning somber. "This is it now, eh?" he softly declared. "The real reason why we were trained so hard when we were young." He gave his tattoo a mixture of awe and uncertainty. "It's so… weird. You know, to be finally Death Eaters."

Hermione nodded her head in agreement, her eyes looking at her tattoo in fear.

Yes, even _she _was accepted.

"I saw Annie," the carefree Slytherin whispered for continuation. "I saw Annie on the floor and Merlin, I thought I was really tasked to perform an Unforgivable on her. I almost backed out, you know. She's my little sister, for goodness' sake! She's the sole reason why I always look forward to going back home for our breaks." He released a hollow laugh and rubbed his eyes. "I actually thought I gave her the Cruciatus Curse. Merlin, I was so _relieved _when she turned into a bloody Death Eater."

Teddy's eyes connected with Draco, pure hatred ignited in his eyes. "I can't believe that bloody monster, master, whatever of ours would do that, Draco," he spat. Hermione frowned upon seeing that his eyes watered for a bit. "That was a low blow, you know."

Draco merely sighed, not knowing what to say. Teddy had been an emotional wreck ever since he was branded with the tattoo. He did not have the heart to say that everything he had seen a while ago was _just the beginning_.

"Annie's _fine_," Blaise assured, stressing the last word. "What you saw a while ago was merely a spell."

Teddy turned away from Draco to look at Blaise. "You saw your mother, right?" he simply asked.

Blaise shrugged and looked away from his penetrating gaze, frowning. "Who else will be the most important person in my life now?" he rhetorically asked. "I admit that I was shaken up for a bit but once the spell hit the Death Eater, I figured it out."

The Italian's eyes then landed on Hermione. "And who did you see, Hermes?" he gently asked. "You were… _brilliant _a while ago."

"Brilliant?" she asked in surprise, eyes widening. "I failed to produce a Cruciatus Curse, for Merlin's sake! It's a huge wonder why I was given _this_!" She showed her tattoo for everyone to see.

"Austen," Draco drawled. "You were one of the few, if not the first, who was able to break into the powerful spell placed on Macnair. Nobody was supposed to know that the person they were cursing a while ago was not their loved ones but merely a Death Eater that was being punished. So yes, you are bloody brilliant."

"He said you have potential, you know," Teddy added. "Maybe you were too distracted to hear him. Are you okay? You seem a little bit… shaken, 'til now."

Hermione swallowed a huge lump in her throat and managed to crack a half-hearted smile. "Still terrified, I guess. I actually thought I just cursed my…" Her voice faltered and she nervously cleared her throat. "Ah, I'm craving for butterbeer now. I'm just going to the kitchen to - ."

"Don't bother," Teddy said, standing up. "Blaise and I will get it for you, right Blaise?" He shot a glare towards his Italian best friend, clearly telling him that he had no other choice but to come with him.

"Fine, fine," he said in defeat. "I want something extra stronger than that, after all. Come on." He pulled Teddy out of their room and once again, left Malfoy and Hermione alone.

Hermione silently watched as Draco sat on top of Blaise's bed, just across from her. She shifted nervously under his profound gaze. His eyes scrutinized her for a few more minutes before breaking his study and looking away from her.

"You saw one of your parents, yeah?" he asked in a murmur.

"My mother, actually," she corrected, refusing to look into his eyes. "Thought I would fail after months of disguise…" Finally, her eyes were able to connect with his. "Malfoy?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," she said, a slight tinge of red on her cheeks.

Draco seemed surprised with her sudden gratitude. "For what?"

Hermione shrugged, a look of uncertainty on her face. "I'm not really sure," she confessed. "But I feel like I should be thanking you. So, thank you."

He looked at her strangely, an amused smile on his face. "Maybe that initiation thing messed up with your head, Granger," he said in humor. "You're acting strange."

The brunette shrugged once again. "Maybe," she said.

Silence ensued once again and this time, Draco was the one who took the time to examine their room. _'Cobwebs, ugh,' _he thought in disgust, his eyes gazing on the ceiling above Hermione's four-poster bed. _'I have to inform the house-elves.' _

When he looked back at Hermione, her mouth had just closed into a tight line. Apparently, she had just said something and Draco was too distracted to hear it. "Sorry?" he asked, eyebrows knitting together.

Hermione nervously shifted under his gaze once again and rubbed the back of her neck. "I said… I want to know who you saw on your initiation day, Malfoy," she repeated. She was looking intently into him and she observed that his cheeks flushed into a terrible shade of red.

"M-my…" he stuttered and cleared his throat. "My mother, nuisance. Who else?"

The brunette believed him and she looked at him in sympathy. "I'm sorry," she said. "Guess we have another similarity, huh, Malfoy?"

He absentmindedly nodded.

Unbeknownst to her, Draco Malfoy was remembering the time of his initiation day wherein a brunette was sprawled on the ground, begging him to spare her life, as he shakily shouted the Cruciatus Curse.

'_My mother,' _he sneered, looking away from her. _'Yeah right.' _

**

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"Can I see it?" Harry asked after moments of silence. He and Hermione were summoned to Dumbledore's Office the day after Hermione became a Death Eater. Once the brunette arrived, Harry was already there, a look of worry seen on his face. Hermione wouldn't be surprised if Harry had been there an hour earlier than their supposed meeting.

"'Mione?" he asked, noticing the blank look she was giving him.

Hermione shook her head to clear off her head. "I'm sorry, but…" She clutched her left arm and nervously looked at Dumbledore. The old wizard looked more stressed out than before as he rubbed bridge of his nose. "Do you really want to see it, Harry?"

The Gryffindor was silent for a while before croaking out a soft 'yes'.

The brunette looked back at her best friend, tears of shame gathering at the corner of her eyes. She slowly lifted up her left sleeve. The Dark Mark was soon visible for all of them to see and finally, the tears streamed down from her eyes. "I-I'm sorry," she blubbered out.

Harry launched himself towards his best friend and enveloped her into a huge hug. "Shh…" he said, rubbing her back in comfort.

"I-I'm so _ashamed_, Harry," she sobbed, burying her face at the crook of his neck.

"I'm not ashamed of you," he consoled her. His hug tightened when her tears started to be uncontrollable. "I'll never be ashamed of you, Hermione Granger. Remember that."

She sniffed a couple of times then lifted her head to stare straight into his eyes. Harry's heart painfully wrenched upon seeing the distressed look on her face. "I… I thought I cursed my Mom, Harry," she said. "S-she was there, on her knees, begging me to spare her life. _It was her voice_…"

Hermione crumpled the front material of his short and continued to cry. "I-I… heard screams in the du-dungeons. Wh-what if two of those were hers and Dad's?"

"Harry," Professor Dumbledore broke in. "Please let her sit down."

Harry nodded and directed his sobbing best friend on the chair across from the Headmaster. The-Boy-Who-Lived chose to stand up behind the brunette's chair, his hands resting on her shoulders in a comforting manner.

"Miss Granger," Dumbledore started, his eyes narrowed with worry. "Do you need me to call Madam Pomfrey?"

Hermione sniffed and vigorously shook her head. "N-no," she pathetically said, haphazardly wiping her tears with her hand. "I-I'm sorry. I think having this Dark Mark made me act out-of-character."

Professor Dumbledore seemed skeptical, but soon sighed and shook his head to clear off some thoughts. "Do you know why I called both of you here?" he asked, looking from his disguised student to The-Boy-Who-Lived.

"My being a Death Eater?" Hermione feebly offered, involuntary clutching Harry's hand resting on top of her shoulder.

"Yes, and some more information about your parents, Miss Granger," the Headmaster said. He took his time in fixing the unorganized papers on his desk before looking back at his students. "First, Severus had told me that the spell is still doing its job on both of your parents."

"It'll be a miracle if it is not," she softly snarled, eyes directed on her hands. Merlin, she was now turning into a real, bitter Slytherin! Hermione cleared her throat, looked at the Headmaster in embarrassment, and said, "I'm sorry. Please continue."

"And, I am aware of a large number of students accompanying you and Mister Malfoy. Is this true?" he asked.

Hermione remembered her fellow Housemates, young and late teenagers, and nodded. "Yes," she said, almost breathless. "And… and not all of us passed, sir."

_Twenty_. Twenty students did not pass. According to Draco, some of them, like her, were too weak to produce a proper Unforgivable curse. But unlike her, they were not deemed as 'potentials' by Voldemort.

"Voldemort's probably making his troupe stronger for the looming Second War," Harry said through gritted teeth. "I… I cannot believe the _nerve _of this bloody… bloody monster!"

"Harry."

He looked ashamedly at his hands. "I-I'm sorry, Professor. It's just…" Harry shook his head and clamped his lips tightly.

"I'm assuming that both Mister Nott and Mister Zabini passed," Dumbledore continued. Hermione, for her answer, nodded her head. "I cannot believe I am saying this but this is a good thing, Miss Granger."

"Professor!"

"Please," he said, an amused smile on his face, "do not get me wrong, my dearest student. What I am trying to say is that if you have more… let's just say, friends with you during Death Eater trainings, then you are safer."

"But they're" –

"I trust them, Harry," Hermione said, eyes looking up at him beseechingly. "They're not like our typical vision of a proud Slytherin-turned-Death-Eater." She released a hollow chuckle and shook her head, her short hair bouncing in the process. "They don't want to be Death Eaters, for goodness' sake! They are… they are only doing this for the sake of their families' reputation. Would you believe that?"

The brunette paused and heaved a huge breath, absentmindedly rubbing her new tattoo. "I've finally accomplished the part of my being a Death Eater," she continued. Her face held extreme determination as she stared squarely at her mentor's electric blue eyes. "All I need to do is find the location of my parents in the Malfoy Manor and save them."

Professor Dumbledore tiredly sighed and once again rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I believe so, Miss Granger," he said. He opened his eyes and looked at both of his students. "And I believe that both of you should retire back to your respective dormitories. This meeting is adjourned."

Harry nodded and helped Hermione up from the chair. "Goodnight, sir," they bid simultaneously and walked out of the Headmaster's office.

"Goodnight," Dumbledore greeted, hoping for the best.

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**A/N: And, end of chapter twenty! So, what do you think? Ooh, Herms is a Death Eater already! And Blaise and Teddy, too! And what was Draco's initiation about? Gah, questions, questions. I'm sure you're desperate to know the answers and all. **

**Speaking of questions, I think most of you are surprised to see that I changed my username. Gone was 2booklover4… here is WickedlyAwesomeMe! What a mouthful, but I adore it. I somehow got the inspiration to use this from Hogwarts Extreme, since that, too, is my username (wickedlyawesome_me). Have you heard of that website? If not, then you are missing a lot. :)**

**Anyway, again, there are no review responses. Two weeks from now and I probably will be able to answer your reviews. Be patient, okay? We have a week and two days left before ultimate freedom! I so cannot wait. If I were a real witch, I would have accio-ed summer already. Oh, well. It's better if I just wait. **

**Once again, review!**

**With love,  
****2bo – **_**cough **_**– WickedlyAwesomeMe (WAM) XD**


	21. Green Slytherins

**Disclaimer: Look at previous chapters, please.**

**A/N: Here's chapter twenty-one! I have no time to dilly-dally. I have two tests tomorrow. Well, good luck to me. Do read and review afterwards. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Twenty-One: Green Slytherins**

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It had been a week ever since the initiation day. It took exactly a _week _for all the new recruits to revert back to their usual selves. Despite their normal routines (classes, breaks, free periods, etc…), at the back of their minds, they still couldn't help but relieve the day when they were branded with the Dark Mark.

Hermione had been withdrawn a few days after the initiation day. Sure, she still tagged along with her other roommates, but her… down demeanor had attracted attention, especially to those female Slytherins who secretly took a liking to the disguised brunette.

Teddy… everybody was extremely surprised with the adorable Slytherin's sudden behavior. He rarely smiled; rarely cracked a joke. Noticeable dark bags were present under his eyes and once in a while, he would glare at those who tried to approach him. Even Mina, his ever faithful 'servant', knew her lord was not in his right spirits and chose to give him some space.

Blaise had also attracted attention from some of his schoolmates. Gone was the charming and sweet Italian, replaced by a cranky, foul-mouthed Slytherin, who glared at anything and _everything _that caught his eyes. His usual fans were found weeping silently in a corner, muttering to themselves that 'The reason for their living has finally changed' and the likes.

Oh, and the blond – his moodiness increased ten-fold. He had abused his power, being a Prefect, and deducted points or gave detention to those who were _merely _looking at him. Even if he had been a Death Eater for a year now, he was mad at himself for not stopping his best friends from becoming one. Teddy was right. He, of all people, should know how being a Death Eater ruins oneself.

And so, imagine the surprise of the whole school when the disguised Hermione Granger, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, and Draco Malfoy came into the Great Hall a week after the initiation day, huge smiles on their faces (although, Draco _tried_). They even greeted most of their Housemates, who almost cried themselves in relief upon seeing that their 'Silver Quartet' (as what they had coined) was finally back to their normal selves.

"Did we miss something?" Blaise asked, amusement on his face as he looked at sniveling Slytherins. "Everyone's acting weird." He sat himself on the bench. Teddy claimed the seat beside him. Not having any other choices, Hermione and Draco sat down opposite from the other two.

"If you must know," Hermione said, laughing, "we've been… strange a couple of days ago. I heard one female Ravenclaw three days ago saying that the 'Almighty Silver Quartet finally lost it'."

"'Silver Quartet'?" the carefree Slytherin asked. His face was comical with eyes wide like saucers and a loaf of bread hanging from his mouth. "HA! Beat that, you bloody Gryffindors! You think you only have your 'Golden Trio', eh? We have a 'Silver Quartet', too. And I'm _damn _part of it!"

Teddy chuckled for a while. But then he realized his slip and furtively looked at Draco. "Err… well, 'Golden Duo', I think."

Hermione stiffened on her seat, eyes wide as she shared a _look _with Malfoy. Draco seemed furious, she reckoned, but the angry spark that ignited in his eyes immediately diminished and he looked back at Teddy, nonchalant.

"Erm… oh, right," childish Teddy said, nervously chuckling. "Tomorrow's the start of our new practice tests, yeah?"

The brunette, grateful for the sudden change of topic, nodded her head a bit too vigorously. "Oh, right, yes," she hastily said. "It's… surprising. I distinctively remembered that our practice tests will be _surprised_. I can't believe the teachers had told us the date." She shrugged, absentmindedly toying with her bacon. "Probably because Christmas is fast approach" –

_BANG! _

Draco sighed and rolled his eyes. "Here we go again," he said, glaring at Hermione and then looking pointedly at Blaise.

"Christmas!" Teddy gushed out like an enthusiastic five-year-old. He banged his fist once again on the table; he was able to topple a bowl of porridge onto a poor fifth year's lap. "Oh Merlin, Christmas!" He stood up, planning to do a happy jig, when an ashamed Blaise Zabini pulled him back on the bench.

"Seriously, Theo," the Italian tiredly said. "You should stop acting like a bloody five-year-old every time you hear the word 'Christmas'."

The carefree Slytherin seemed unfazed. Instead, he eagerly clapped his hands in joy. "Christmas! Oh Merlin, I've _totally _forgotten." He released a merry laugh and Hermione looked at Draco in confusion, worried for her roommate. Malfoy, once again, merely rolled his eyes and glared at his immature best friend. "Christmas means break time! I'm going to see Annie! I'm going to see Annie! I'm going to see Annie!" The last part of his speech was said in a sing-song voice, his claps serving as beats for his made-up song.

"That's how much you love Christmas, huh?" Hermione said, the corner of her lips lifting up. She couldn't help it. Teddy's laughter was infectious.

"Love it?" Teddy asked, eyes growing wide. "Merlin, 'love' is the biggest understatement I've ever heard. Christmas… Christmas is the best thing that had ever happened to me."

Blaise leaned a little closer to Hermione and whispered, "He still believed Father Christmas is real… that mad bloke. Nott will sob hysterically if you reasoned out that Father Christmas is merely a fictional character."

"Shut up, Blaise!" Teddy cried, hurtling a hotdog from his plate. It had hit him squarely on his forehead and Hermione burst into cheerful laughter. "Just because I believe that Father Christmas is real doesn't mean I'm _mad_."

"Well… technically, Father Christmas is _real_," Hermione logically stated, ignoring the scowl that appeared on Draco's face. "I mean, St. Nicholas, ever heard of him? They coined him as Santa Claus or Father Christmas… whatever."

After her little speech, the carefree Slytherin was staring at her, undoubtedly dumbfounded. "Did you just…" he muttered breathlessly. He looked at Blaise for confirmation, who only rolled his eyes, and returned his attention back to his breakfast. "You just defended me, Hermes." His heart fluttered madly inside his ribcage and he swore that mutant bats were wrecking havoc inside his stomach. "You just defended me… and I feel so happy that I can die happy now." Two pink patches formed on his cheeks and he grinned goofily on his food, avoiding Hermione's eyes.

The brunette, having no idea how much her words meant to Teddy, merely laughed. "Anyway, speaking of Christmas, will all of you go home for the break?"

"Obviously," Teddy answered. The goofy grin was still on his face. "Annie's gonna kill me if I did not visit her for breaks. My little sister's a bit… touchy, you know."

Blaise, on the other hand, shrugged his shoulders. "I have no choice, I guess," he answered back. "I mean, my being a… _you-know-what _is worthy of a grand celebration. My mother had been sending me letters for days now, threatening me that she'll disown me if I did not come home."

Hermione then looked at Draco expectantly, waiting for his answer. Upon feeling her eyes on him, he swiveled around and glared. "What?" he asked.

"Will you stay for the Christmas break here in Hogwarts?" she repeated once again, unfazed.

His glare darkened and he looked away from her, back to his breakfast plate. He channeled his bad mood on his hotdog and stabbed it mercilessly. Hermione felt bad for the breakfast food. "I can't, Austen," he said, followed by a tired sigh. "My father's - ."

"Draco!" Teddy exclaimed, stopping him. Hermione looked at him in surprise, discovering that his eyes had widened. He looked panicked. When she looked at Blaise, she was astonished to see that he was sporting the same look Teddy had on his face.

The blond sighed and waved a dismissive hand. "It's all right," he whispered for only his three roommates to hear. "He _knows_."

Blaise looked fairly surprised as Teddy ecstatic. "Seriously?" he asked, eyes widening. "It took you _years _to confide some of your secrets to us, Draco. I mean, _wow_. I can't believe you told him when he asked."

Draco snorted and threw Hermione a mocking glare. "Who said he asked?" he snarled, making Hermione glare back at him.

"What?" Teddy asked, confused.

Once again, Draco waved a dismissive hand. "_Anyway_," he said with emphasis, "as I was saying, my father still hasn't forgiven me for, you know…" He leaned closer just for sure. "He's enraged I still haven't told him about my mother's welfare. He's starting to get suspicious. So, Dumbledore thinks it'll be better if I just stay here in Hogwarts. Not exactly a good option but the nutcase said it's better for me to stay here and heighten Lucius' suspicion than spend the rest of my Christmas break with him _alone_."

The blond snorted then went back to his previous position and rolled his eyes. "What a worrywart, that nutcase," he continued, throwing a dirty look at the teacher's table. "Think I won't be able to come back to Hogwarts in one piece as soon as the new semester starts."

Blaise rolled his eyes. Teddy, on the other hand, pouted.

"It's for your safety, you know," Teddy whispered, looking around to make sure there were no eavesdroppers. "I mean, we all know that you're position is _dangerous_."

"And do remember, mate," Blaise added, his gaze piercing, "that the last time you spent your Christmas break with Lucius Malfoy, you almost got sent to St. Mungo's."

Hermione gasped and stared at Malfoy. "I-is that true?" she asked.

"No big deal, nuisance," Draco said, glaring at Blaise. "And who told you to just tell that to anyone anytime you want, Zabini?"

Blaise merely frowned and looked back at his breakfast.

"All right, all right, children, no need to fight," Teddy said, humored.

"And those words came from an immature jerk," Draco murmured, which his roommate ignored.

"_Anyway_," Teddy continued, swiveling his head to stare directly at Hermione, "will you be staying here in Hogwarts for Christmas, Austen?"

Now that she was being asked, Hermione realized she had _no idea_. Of course, she couldn't go back home. It was _burned _from roof to floor. Before all of these catastrophe started, Hermione had planned in going to the Weasleys' Burrow to spend her Christmas. But now that she was Hermes Austen, she knew that it was impossible.

And so, she answered the only logical idea that came into her mind. "I guess…" she said, still uncertain, "I'm having problems at home, right? I'm sure my p-parents" – she swallowed a lump in her throat – "will think it's best for me to stay in Hogwarts."

"Therefore," Draco butted in, "you're staying with me."

Hermione's eyes widened in horror. "Darn," she grumbled and glared at the blond. She scowled upon seeing him smirk at her in return. What happened to the brooding Draco Malfoy a while ago? _'The audacity of this guy,' _she thought and silently huffed. "I bet my Meteorite 1997 that you're jumping for joy now, huh, Malfoy? Since your sole entertainment will be accompanying you for Christmas."

Draco's smirk widened. "You have no idea, Austen," he answered.

The brunette scowled and playfully punched his shoulder (earning an eyebrow raise from Teddy and Blaise). "I'll make it a point to make this Christmas your worst, Malfoy. You just wait."

"Empty threats will bring you nowhere," Draco sneered. "And you call that a punch? I can perfectly demonstrate it to you how to throw a real one."

"Ooh, I'm quacking on my boots," she retorted mockingly. "Maybe this slipped off your mind but some people can actually throw a _perfect _punch if they put their mind into it."

She was hinting about the punch she gave him during their third year and he knew it. A victorious grin grew on her face when she noticed that Draco Malfoy, _the _Draco Malfoy, bristled on his seat.

"Touché," he spat, glaring. "Wipe that stupid smile off your face, will you? There's no need to be triumphant now."

Merry laughter bubbled at her throat, which soon escaped from her lips as she stared at her other two roommates. Her laughter was then put into a halt upon noticing the strange looks on Blaise's and Teddy's faces. "What?" she asked, conscious. "Is there something on my face?"

Blaise was the first one to shake his head. "No, no, nothing. Just…" His eyes landed on his best mate for years and noticed the changes in him. He could see a smile fighting its way through his face but Draco hid it with his infamous Malfoy smirk. Blaise also noticed that the stress lines on his forehead lessened. His mercurial eyes seemed lighter now; it used to be dark and antsy once the school-year began.

His frown further deepened when Draco released a soft chuckle because of something Hermione had said.

Underneath the Slytherin table, his hands turned into fists.

It was undoubted.

Draco Malfoy already knew that Hermes Austen was none other than Hermione Granger…

… _or_ maybe he was just turning into a possessive and imaginative git. But then again, he had known Draco for _years_. Goodness, they were even raised up together! And so, he knew him like his favorite book.

He knew how Draco always acted every time Hermione Granger was around. And he was acting _exactly _one right now.

'_Or maybe Draco's turning gay,' _Blaise brooded darkly. _'Or maybe I should shut up my mind now.' _

Damn Hermione Granger for unconsciously starting to make him crazy about her, too.

**

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Theodore Nott, immature Slytherin extraordinaire.

That was how people described Teddy every time they were questioned. Sure, there were times when people would sugarcoat their words, but once you peeled off the disgusting sweetness, you'd realize that they were all saying the same thing – Teddy Nott is immature.

It was undeniable. Teddy, himself, even knew that he was not acting like his age. And he did not care. He loved to act freely like a child. He loved acting so carefree and problem-free. Sometimes, he did wonder why people placed themselves under stress and then _complain _at the end.

"If you hate working, then don't!" would have been his typical answer.

Because of his nonchalant nature, girls find him adorable. With his easy smile, tousled dark hair, and handsome blue eyes, he could easily melt the hearts of cold-hearted females. And so far, he was successful with this simple task. Admirers and fans accumulated as the years gone by and Draco Malfoy's fans were already feeling threatened because they were almost _overpowered_. But then again, nobody beats their gorgeous Slytherin Prince.

Affairs had come and gone in Teddy's life. There were a few flings. Others were actually serious ones. But before Teddy Nott's eyes, they all ended. 'Fall out of love', the girls would reason out when in actuality, it was _Teddy _who ended everything. They just wanted to protect their egos through lying.

But then… _but then_, he came along. _Hermes Austen _came along. At first, he was just a new Slytherin roommate… another person he could befriend. When Hermes vomited all over his best friend, Draco, and enraged the said blond, he thought that all thoughts of friendship with him would not happen at all. But on that blessed day when he offered him sweets and an adorable smile of his own, he knew his world had just turned upside down.

Everything about Hermes Austen was contradictory to his life. He was studious; Teddy hated studying. He loved reading; books made him feel dumb. Quidditch was just another pastime for Hermes; Quidditch was _everything_ to Teddy. Hermes detested sweet things; damn it, he was in love with any kind of sweets.

He was so… _different _from him it was a wonder how he came to like, as in _like _like Hermes Austen.

Teddy still couldn't come into terms with the fact that he liked someone of the same sex. But he already accepted the fact that he has feelings for his wimpy roommate. It was unnerving, yeah. But denying it was starting to exhaust the carefree Slytherin. And he hated getting tired.

Theodore Nott was well-known for being childish. And being childish meant being _possessive_, too. What was his, was his. If you want it, back off because he would kill you. And yes, he was being serious.

That was why he was having conflicting feelings on Thursday that week, sitting across from his best friend and his roommate. Blaise was nowhere to be found, excusing himself to stay in the library for some research Teddy never planned of doing.

He was actually happy about this. One roommate meant that there would be a bigger probability he would be able to sit beside Hermes. Imagine how his mood dampened when he strolled inside the room and saw that _Draco Malfoy _claimed the glorious seat beside Hermes. In the end, he was stuck sitting in between Crappy Crabbe and Gross Goyle.

Teddy was tolerating the first few minutes. Despite the zooming food to and fro between Crabbe and Goyle, he was able to stay optimistic and happy. Just looking at Hermes Austen, who was again peaceful and endearing whilst reading _'Hogwarts: A History'_,already made his day.

And then Draco… he could not believe his best friend's 'betrayal'. He loved him all right (in a platonic way). For goodness' sake, he was the first person he had notice on their first year in Hogwarts! He had sworn on the day that Draco accepted his friendship that he would stick up with him. Blaise even knew that his friendship with Draco was stronger than theirs.

But now, all he wanted to do was wring Draco Malfoy's neck.

"Teddy, can you please pass the marmalade?" Hermes politely asked, a smile that only him could flash visible on his face.

The carefree Slytherin lightened up. He long discovered about Hermes' obsession with marmalade and he found it extremely adorable. It was like him, having a huge obsession with sweets.

'_Hmm… we have something in common, after all,' _he pondered, making him smile widely.

Teddy was about to grasp the jar of marmalade when Malfoy had beat him into it.

"Don't bother, Theo," Draco said. "I'll do it instead."

His eyes widened and watched in horror as Draco _victoriously _offered the jar of marmalade to Hermes, who thanked him grateful with a huge smile on his face…

… the _nerve _of Draco Malfoy.

It could have been a shining glory for Teddy. It was the perfect time to make Hermes smile and direct it to him. _Him_! But no, Draco had to steal his spotlight and be the receiving end of Teddy's most coveted facial expression from Hermes.

Having enough, he stood up, banging his empty goblet of pumpkin juice in the process. Hermes and Draco looked at him, surprised. Crabbe and Goyle stopped their intolerable 'food fight' and stared dumbly at the carefree Slytherin. Teddy merely glared at Draco and silently seethed.

"You…" he pointed an accusing finger at Draco. "I… he…" Teddy fell silent and bristled. One thing he hated about himself was the fact that he always spout incoherent words when he was furiously mad.

And so, he did the only thing he could think of that time– he turned around and stomped away, the metamorphic sunshine on top of his head now hidden behind huge, dark clouds.

Once he was gone, Draco blinked thrice before looking at his roommate. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked, genuinely confused.

The disguised Slytherin shrugged. "I have no idea," she answered. "I just hope that he's okay."

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Teddy and Blaise found their current situation hilarious and disheartening at the same time.

Blaise never showed any interests with other girls in the past. For him, they were too predictable. He wanted someone that could surprise him, like a new book he had just purchased from Flourish and Blotts. And then, Hermione Granger came along.

He had seen her in years. After all, they were in the same year level. He was able to know a few things about Hermione and truthfully, he never really cared about her back then.

When he discovered that his new roommate was actually Hermione Granger in disguise, he knew this year would be an interesting one. And so, he swore to keep his discovery to himself and watch the Gryffindor-turned-Slytherin struggle to adapt to her new environment.

At first, he was merely watching her for sheer amusement. He was seriously laughing his head off when she vomited all over Draco, drunk. But on the day when she bruised her wrist after fighting off the Knockturn Alley hags, he knew, being the only one who knew about her true identity, that he should look after her like a big brother.

And looked after her he did. He tried his best to help her adjustment to her new House, new identity, new _gender_… Looking after her grew big and big up until the point when he surrendered to the fact that he fancied her.

She was a puzzle. And he liked her for that. Detective and mystery books always had a special place in Blaise's heart. Watching her made him think about her next move, what she was currently thinking, and what she was actually feeling.

Yes, he does _like _her already. A lot, maybe. He still did not know.

And so, on their next Hogsmeade Day, he planned to make it one of the happiest days of her life. He was silently thanking Merlin because Teddy and Draco had other rendezvous to attend, leaving him all alone with Hermione.

He made up a cover-up story, telling her that he wanted her to occupy him while he waited for a make-believe girl. It was just an excuse so that he would be able to spend the whole Hogsmeade Day with the _real _girl he truly liked.

The Italian was so furious when Hermione sent him a letter, stating that Draco was not feeling well, therefore, she couldn't come so that someone would take care of his best friend. His awful mood was evident when he returned once he saw Hermione perched near Draco's bed. Thus, he gave her an uncharacteristic cold stare in return.

As days passed by, he had an inkling feeling that his feelings for her grew big and big… he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to stop falling.

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Both Teddy and Blaise are hopelessly in love with the color 'green'. It was, without any doubt, their most favorite color.

But seeing Hermione Granger (for Blaise) or Hermes Austen (for Teddy) acting like that with, of all people, their best friend, Draco Malfoy, they turned instantly into green monsters; and they must say that because of this observation they were making, their love for the color green was starting to decrease.

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Harry watched in confusion as a young lady emerged inside the Room of Requirement, an uncertain smile on her face. There was something eerily familiar with her smile. The Gryffindor racked his brain for any memory but it ended futile.

She seemed familiar, he reckoned. Her simple white blouse and blue skirt were feminine and he swore he had seen those article of clothes somewhere before. Her head was adorned with gorgeous curls that tumbled down her slim shoulders. It would slightly bounce when she moved.

And her face… Harry squinted his eyes to scrutinize the mysterious girl properly. Her lips and button nose rang a bell in his mind. But once his eyes landed on her chocolate brown eyes hidden behind thin-framed glasses, his mind would instantly blank out.

"Umm…" he stupidly started, scratching his head. He felt a bit apprehensive, thinking that Hermione might walk inside and the mysterious girl would misinterpret his relationship with 'Hermes Austen'. "May I help you?"

The smile on her face changed into a full one. A bubble of merry laughter escaped from her lips. Harry scrunched up his forehead. Her laugh was familiar, too!

"Harry," she said. "It's me."

The Gryffindor blinked.

The mysterious girl removed her thin-framed glasses. Once her eyes connected with his emerald ones, Harry's jaw dropped.

"What the - ? HERMIONE?" he exclaimed. He sprang out from his seat and took quick strides towards the brunette, still dumbfounded. "How…? What…? Are you…?" He paused, took a deep breath, and stared back once again at his triumphant best friend. "What the _hell _was that?"

If possible, Hermione's smile grew bigger. "It worked!" she cried. "_This _worked." She gave her glasses to Harry and he stared at it with unadulterated awe. "I've bewitched that spectacles so that no one will be able to recognize me. Dumbledore actually gave me a permission to do this advanced magic, seeing that Christmas is fast approaching and I'm staying here in Hogwarts. Said that during this merry season, I should be able to at least quickly experience what I had once been."

The Slytherin grabbed back her glasses and wore it. When Harry stared back at her, his confusion grew when he realized he was able to _recognize _her now. "The good thing about this spell is that once you know who the wearer is, which is me, then you will be able to recognize me even if I'm wearing this bewitched glasses."

Harry blinked thrice and released a disbelieving sigh. "Ingenious!" he exclaimed, gingerly touching the frame of her magical classes. "This is bloody brilliant! A wonderful work-of-art, I tell you! Wow, this thing can probably help me in the future. You know, all those nosy media people and such…"

Hermione merely chuckled. She led him back to the comfortable couches and once they were both settled down, Harry's right arm found its way around her shoulders.

"I've missed you," he honestly stated, burying his nose inside her tresses. Oh, he had truly missed her beautiful, long hair.

"Harry," she said, humored, "we _always _see each other. What's there to miss?"

"No, no, not like that," he protested. He retracted back his arm, held both of her shoulders, and gently forced her to look intently back into his eyes. "_Look _at you. You're actually Hermione Granger now." A cheeky grin settled on his handsome face. "Now, I won't feel disgusted every time I tell you that I absolutely love you."

Hermione playfully punched his arm, a warm smile on her face. "Oh, really, Potter," she said, mock irritation at the tone of her voice.

Harry made a low whistle. "Wow, after uttering my last name, I honestly swore you sounded like a true Slytherin back there. You've been spending an awful lot of time with the Slytherins already. It's _unhealthy_, I tell you!"

The brunette rolled her eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop mocking my new House?" she asked. "Harry, they are not bad at all once you really know them. Well, if you are actually on their good side, they'll act like Gryffindors." She leaned slightly, eyes wide in alarm. "But do not tell them that, okay? Especially Teddy. He'll have my head."

The Gryffindor roared in laughter and pulled Hermione into a hug. "Hermione, Hermione, Hermione," he said in sing-song voice. "What will happen to me if you are not in my life?"

Hermione grinned, although he was not able to see. "You're probably stuck with idiotic Ron and melodramatic Ginny for the rest of your life. Wow, don't you feel grateful that I'm here to keep you _sane_?"

Harry chuckled, his mood sobering a bit. "Speaking of those two Weasleys, Mrs. Weasley invited me to celebrate Christmas with them."

She felt a slight pang of pain her heart. "Oh yeah?" she asked. Her mood already dampened. "That's nice."

Her best friend released a resigned sigh before pulling away from her and staring back at her chocolate orbs. "You do realize that this is their first Christmas without you, Hermione, right?" he asked.

The pain in her heart intensified ten-fold. "I… know," she answered, her voice cracking. "I just wish I'll be able to spend my Christmas in the Burrow and taste Mrs. Weasley's food. But _you _do realize that this is also my first Christmas without my parents at home, right?"

A wry smile flashed on Harry's face. "Apparently so," he said.

Silence settled in the room. Hermione's head had magnetized down on Harry's shoulder and she stayed there for a while. "Tell them I love all of them, okay? Every _single _one of them," she murmured. "Tell them they had been like a second family. Tell them I want them to be happy without… _me_." A small chuckle escaped from her lips. "Just don't reveal that I'm actually alive. Just tell them that someday, we will all be reunited and once everything is over, I'll give each and every one of them a big, big hug and a loving kiss on their cheeks."

Harry heaved a small breath and patted her back. "I-I will," he stuttered, voice cracking.

Hermione smiled. Harry was trying his hardest not to cry.

She allowed him to compose himself before pulling back away from him. "I think it's best that we go back to our respective dormitories now. I have this gut feeling that you haven't packed your trunk yet," she said teasingly.

The Gryffindor laughed and stood up from the couch, Hermione following suit.

Just before he could completely walk out from the Room of Requirement, Harry spun around and surprised Hermione by pulling her into a tight hug. "Just remember that I love you, yeah?" he murmured against her ear. "And I'll be one of the happiest men in the world once this dangerous mission of yours ended. You understand that?"

Hermione patted his back and smiled. "Of course, I know that, Harry," she answered back. "And I truly love you, too, okay? Now be a man and go back to the Gryffindor common room. I don't want you to breakdown right here and right now."

He scowled and glared. "Who said I'm going to breakdown?" he asked with pride.

The brunette pointedly stared at his glossy, emerald eyes but chose not to say anything. "Fine, I'll see you once the new semester begins, okay?"

"Okay. Just don't forget to send me a gift," he answered before finally bidding her a goodbye and returning back to the Gryffindor Tower.

**

* * *

**

**A/N: Well, that's it for now. Do tell your opinions! The next two chapters will be pure Dramione goodness. I swear :D So, please wait for next Thursday!**

**Oh, I am panicky now because I have to two tests tomorrow but, good god, after that is summer here so I'm a free person! Do expect frequent updates (well, I'll really try… author's honor XD) **

**Anyway, that's it for now. Again, reviews please!**

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe :p**


	22. Christmas Spirit: Part I

**Disclaimer: I'm still wicked. I'm still awesome. I'm still me. Hence, I'm still WickedlyAwesomeMe XD (I think I sounded a little bit conceited back there :D)**

**A/N: Whew, a new chapter! And I posted it a few hours earlier than I intended to. It's actually midnight here and I'm still out and about and you know why? Because it's summer! I cannot believe it is summer already. I can now eat anytime I want; sleep anytime I want; write stories anytime I want… haha, I'm gloating. I know, I know. **

**ANYWAY, back to my story. Here's the next chapter… remember, the Dramione goodness? So, without further ado, I present to you, Chapter Twenty-Two. Review afterwards! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Christmas Spirit (Part I) **

* * *

Everybody was bustling around, giving last minute hugs and kisses before parting ways to go home for their Christmas break.

Christmas. It was fast approaching, only a week more. Hogwarts was decorated for the festive season. Christmas trees, bewitched mistletoes, random Christmas carols… all was seen and heard all throughout the castle. One would not be seen without a humongous smile on his or her face.

On one side of the Great Hall, just a few meters away from the oak-wooden door, stood Teddy Nott, Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, and Hermione Granger incognito.

Teddy was unusually sporting a huge scowl on his face. Even Blaise was looking a bit moody. Apparently, the cheerful mood seemingly bewitched all over Hogwarts was not contagious enough for the two Slytherins.

"I am so _sorry _I'll be going home, Hermes," the carefree Slytherin announced, his scowl gradually turning into a small pout. "I'd love to stay and accompany you here but Annie…" He paused to shiver slightly. "You have no idea how my baby sister turns murderous when I do not do what she wants. I'm really sorry. I swear I'll give you a present. We'll be exchanging letters, okay?"

Hermione had this amused smile on her face. She did not trust herself to speak, afraid that she would burst out laughing. Teddy was looking extremely cute right now, especially talking about his little sister, Annie. Although, she did not dare voice out her opinion. Teddy might misinterpret.

And so, she merely nodded her head.

Satisfied, Teddy then swiveled around and stared darkly at the blond Slytherin standing beside the object of his affection. "Draco," he growled, his scowl coming back full blast.

Draco raised an eyebrow. Ever since the day he stalked out of the Great Hall, sulking, Teddy had been avoiding him. His animosity was astounding, seeing that he had once confessed that he would feel so upset if he was not able to talk to him for a day. But Teddy was a determined boy and avoided him like he was infected by the Dragon Pox virus. He only satisfied himself by glaring darkly every time he was in the vicinity. Draco, knowing about his childish ways, only shrugged off his sudden indifference.

"You…" Teddy sputtered out, his cheeks now turning slightly red because of frustration. "You…" He pursed his lips, took a deep breath, and continued. "You _bloody _take care of Hermes, Draco. Or I swear… I am going to denounce you as my best friend."

Draco blinked. "Interesting threat, Nott," he said. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "And do have a wonderful break, too."

His best friend huffed and scowled at his trunk.

"I promise to write," Blaise butted in, eyes glued on Hermione. "And I promise to send you a gift." He looked at Draco. "_Both _of you."

Blaise released a resigned sigh upon hearing Filch and McGonagall calling for the names of those who would be going home for the break.

"Have a nice Christmas, Teddy, Blaise!" Hermione greeted, a cheerful smile on her face. She was feeling exceptionally exuberant today and it was all thanks to Christmas. "I wish you'll both have fun."

Both Teddy and Blaise momentarily forgot about the fact that Hermione would be stuck with Draco while they had to go home. Just seeing her so cheerful and happy had vanished their moodiness away.

"We'll be back in a whim!" Teddy cried, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Please don't miss me. It'll be harder to leave."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Quit being melodramatic, Theo, or I'm going to tell Annie that you are having second thoughts in spending Christmas with her."

The glare he gave him was so dark, Hermione found herself shrinking back a little. She never imagined that Teddy was capable of glaring like that.

Blaise sighed, gripped the arm of Teddy, and started to pull him away. "Happy Christmas!" he greeted, waving. Soon, they disappeared in the throng of students.

Both Hermione and Draco stood in front of the oak-wooden doors until all of the thestral-drawn carriages disappeared from their sight.

As soon as they were all alone, Hermione looked at Draco with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Get ready, Malfoy," she announced. "This will be the best Christmas you ever had."

* * *

Draco Malfoy gawked.

Malfoys do no such thing; that one was a fact. If someone told him he was gawking, he would sneer and correct it by saying that he was merely _staring_. 'Gawking' was too un-Malfoy-like. His ancestors would roll in their graves if they were able to see him doing it.

But that was what he was doing. And for now, he did not give a bloody damn.

"What?" Hermione asked, her forehead creased in worry. She ran a hand through her long tresses, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "Is there… something on my face? Ink, perhaps?"

The blond blinked and collected his suddenly muddled thoughts. He cleared his throat and wore his usual mask of indifference, making it look like he had not momentarily lost his cool a while ago. "Granger," he announced, "you're a girl."

She snorted in an unladylike fashion. "Yeah, thank you for noticing, Malfoy," she said, now trying to remove some invisible lint from her turtle neck sweater.

Draco made an angry noise at the back of his throat. "_Austen_," he emphasized. "You're supposed to be a disguised as a man, right? Hermes Austen, does that ring a bell? So what the hell are you doing, looking like that?"

"Oh," she realized, chuckling. She transfigured a random candy wrapper into a hairclip and placed it neatly on her hair. "It's Christmas, Malfoy. Dumbledore allowed me to be myself for a while, seeing that there are only twelve students left. And besides, we are the only Slytherins left here for the holiday. I can easily roam around the common room without getting discovered."

The blond rolled his eyes. "Are you really thick, Austen? Do you realize that we are going to Hogsmeade today? I am so sure that as soon as you stepped out of the carriage, all eyes will be glued to you."

Once again, Hermione chuckled. "I'm not idiotic, Malfoy," she said, dismissing him with the wave of her hand. She summoned her thin-framed glasses and shoved the said eyewear to his hands. "That is my disguise - ."

" – mere _glasses_ - ."

" – _and_," she emphasized with a glare, "it is bewitched. Look, if I wear it, you will still recognize me because you know that it's _me _who is wearing it. But since people believed that I am six feet under the ground, if they see me, they'll just think that I look _familiar _but will not even give me a second glance. So Malfoy, I am not thick."

Draco still looked skeptical when he returned back the 'bewitched' glasses. "Are you sure that thin-framed spectacles will work?" Hermione scowled. "_Not _that I am underestimating your magical prowess. And yes, I just complimented you. So, just shut up and wipe that stupid smile off your face."

Hermione did not listen to him. Instead, the smug smile on her face grew bigger. "Well, Draco Malfoy just complimented me. That's a start," she said. She wore her glasses and ushered him out of their room. "Come on. Time flies. I have to buy a lot of gifts for everyone!"

The blond sighed. "This will be a long day," he muttered under his breath.

* * *

"I did not."

"You did, too," she mockingly growled, sticking out her tongue immaturely.

"I did not!" His voice increased in volume, attracting strange looks from passersby.

"Keep it down," Hermione snickered, shooting embarrassed looks at the people around them. "And shut up and admit it, Malfoy. You. Did. Too."

A soft growl escaped from his lips and he stared murderously at Hermione. "_Granger_ - ."

" – I said to not call me _that _in public! – "

" – you think this is funny, huh?" he huffed, a huge scowl visible on his handsome face. "I never knew you're such a sadistic witch. It's dumbfounding."

Hermione rolled her eyes at his melodrama. "_Admit _it, Draco Malfoy," she repeated, "you almost peed in your trousers when I _punched _you during third year." A triumphant smile settled on her face. "I had seen it on your face! You almost cried!"

"I did not!" he cried back once again, but then realized that he was acting immaturely. He huffed, crossed his arms, and had a look of finality on his face. "I am not going to talk to you until you stop accusing me of lies, Austen."

The brunette stared at him in disbelief and then burst out into merry laughter. "Teddy, is that you?" Upon seeing him scowl, she laughed louder. "Honestly, Malfoy, you're acting like an immature git. I never knew this thing is a touchy subject for you."

" – It's not - ."

"_All right_," she cut him off, her eyes still dancing with mirth. "I sincerely apologize for hurting you, dearest roommate. I promise not to taunt you ever again. I'll be good, I swear."

He seemed like he wanted to say something but was never given the chance because they finally arrived inside the Three Broomsticks. Draco was rendered speechless upon seeing the place so… _vacant_. He was used to the hustling-bustling people inside the said pub. He actually braced himself for the shoves and impolite pushes. "Is it really like this during Christmas breaks?" he asked.

Hermione looked at him at the corner of her eyes and secretly smiled. He looked adorable. _'Wait… WHAT?' _she screamed inside her head and then shook it to clear her mind. Her locks bounced wildly around her shoulders. "Oh, don't look so surprised, Malfoy," she lightly said. "It's Christmas, after all. People are supposed to be celebrating with their _loved ones_."

Draco nervously cleared his throat. Celebrate Christmas with your loved one, eh? And now he was standing beside Hermione Granger… "Well, I'm sorry for being utterly clueless, Austen. This is my first time spending Christmas in Hogwarts."

He stated it so nonchalantly Hermione had to frown. "Okay," she merely said, although millions of questions rushed into her mind: Was it true he almost got sent to St. Mungo's last Christmas break? How did he feel right now? Would he rather be spending this break with his father? _Did he want to be with her right now? _

Once again, she shook her head to clear her mind.

She blindly followed Draco until he chose a table they usually sat in their past Hogsmeade trips.

He ordered two butterbeers and pumpkin pasties for the two of them. Soon, they were tucking in.

"Well, it seemed like your bewitched glasses actually worked," Draco commented, once in a while shooting furtive looks all over the room. "Nobody noticed you."

A proud smirk flittered on her face. "I told you so," she said, absentmindedly tucking a stray curl behind her ears. "They just think that I'm some random girl spending her Hogsmeade Trip with the Malfoy heir… I bet there would be rumors soon."

Rumors. His eyes widened at her implication. Was she trying to say that if some random passerby looked at their table, he or she would be able to see Draco Malfoy having a… _date _with a mysterious girl? He hid his blush by quickly munching a pumpkin pasty.

In a desperate need to shift their awkward conversation, he blurted out, "How does it feel to dress up like a girl again?" He grabbed his goblet and emptied its contents.

"Like a breath of fresh air," she solemnly said, releasing a loud 'whoosh'. Was he imagining things or did she look relieved, too? "Merlin, it's so weird coming from me but I am so _glad _I'm wearing a skirt again." She released a laugh, feeling ridiculous, and gestured at her skirt.

A smirk settled on his face. The tension vanished. "I always deemed you tomboyish, Austen," he stated. "You never cared about what you look like."

She shrugged and thoughtfully nibbled on her pumpkin pasty. "It's not really important," she confessed. "And what's the point when no one is going to appreciate it?"

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. _'Granger? Self-conscious? Wow.' _He hummed in reply before minding his food again.

Silence settled between them. Draco's eyes roamed around the whole pub. He had mentally counted the number of customers (approximately ten people), the number of the chairs in the room (almost half a hundred or more), the number of filthy windows (All _fifteen _of them), the number of glasses on top of the bar table (ten, including one with a visible crack), and such.

This was truly an awkward day for him. He never imagined in his whole life that he, of all people, would be accompanying Hermione Granger (albeit a disguised one) on Christmas Day. Well, he had fantasies but before he would completely drown deeper into his imagination, he would shake his head and tell him that this was reality. And in reality, Hermione Granger was out-of-bounds…

… until now, he guessed.

With an exhausted sigh, he looked back at the girl in front of him. And that was when he noticed it. There, on her hair.

A grotesque hairclip.

Almost immediately, his nose scrunched up in disgust. "You call that a hair clip, Austen? It's more of like a sad excuse of one."

Her eyebrows knitted together as her hand unconsciously went on her hair accessory. "Well, I'm sorry," she softly spat, removing the hairclip from her hair. "I just transfigured some random candy wrapper to put my fringes away from my face. I don't care if it looks hideous to you."

The blond rolled her eyes as she clipped it back in place. "Whatever," he said, grabbing another pumpkin pasty and taking a bite.

"Are you almost done?" Hermione asked, eyeing the delicacy on his hand. "We have to make haste, Malfoy."

"Why?" His eyebrows knitted together.

"I have to buy Christmas gifts for our friends," she elaborated. "Teddy had sent me a letter this morning, threatening me to buy him a gift. Such a pushy fellow."

"You have no idea," he muttered under his breath, remembering the past Christmases when he would receive letters, even _howlers_, from Theodore Nott threatening to obliterate him into pieces, send his remains to Mars, and have a movie-like experience watching Martians prod his innards if he failed to send him his desired gift.

"We," a faint blush reached both of her cheeks, "have to separate from now on. I'll meet you back here at exactly three in the afternoon."

"Why?" he asked, confused.

A groan escaped from her lips. "Don't make me say it, Malfoy. Or I swear I'm going to Obliviate your memories afterwards."

"What are you talking about?"

She made an impatient noise at the back of her throat. "Ugh, just… just, go away for a while, okay?" She was now standing up, poised to leave. "Remember, three o'clock, yeah?" Hermione never gave him the chance to reply because she was soon outside the Three Broomsticks, an embarrassed smile on her face.

"Now what should I give Malfoy for Christmas?" she mused aloud, walking in the streets of Hogsmeade.

* * *

"That bloody nuisance," Draco muttered under his breath, looking from left to right for the familiar brunette. "Think she could just sprint away and leave me here… darn her."

A frustrated sigh escaped from Draco's lips as he tucked both of his hands inside his front pockets.

His eyes roamed around the streets, noticing some last-minute Christmas shoppers. He saw one upset toddler, arms crossed stubbornly against his chest, and refused to move an inch even though his mother was pulling him already. He saw one couple, the guy shyly reaching for the girl's hand. He saw one old lady being assisted by a proud child as they crossed the street.

Everybody was with somebody.

Draco scowled. He felt alone. _'Thank you, Hermione Granger,' _he growled internally, sidestepping two children running on the streets.

It was weird but he _awfully _missed Teddy and Blaise. There were times when he was actually fed up with Teddy's immaturity and Blaise's sick optimism. But now, Merlin he missed them. They were, after all, his best friends.

He halted in his steps upon seeing a trace of curly, brunette hair. At a closer glance, he observed that she wasn't Granger at all. _'Great, now I'm imagining her everywhere,' _he sullenly thought, resuming his walk.

They were progressing, he reckoned. Their relationship, he meant. From enemies, to acquaintances, to almost-friends, or so he thought. They still bicker, all right. But _playfully_. His cheeks inflamed with the sudden discovery.

He wondered if his friends noticed, especially Teddy and Blaise. Oh, _especially_ Blaise. The bloke could read him like his favorite book; it irritated him sometimes. Did he notice the sudden changes in him? The brief enthusiasm in him every time he woke up in the morning? The contented smile always fighting its way into his lips? The sickening bounce he had in his every step that made him stop walking for a while?

Or maybe he noticed the way he looked at their roommate…?

He scowled. He tried so hard just to shove his feelings for a certain brunette at the darkest recesses of his heart so that no one could see it, especially _Lucius_. Oh god, he couldn't sleep peacefully ever since his first year, wondering if his father received a letter from some anonymous jerk stating that he fancied a _Mudblood_. Lucius would never hesitate but kill her.

Kill her. A shiver involuntarily ran up his spine. He, to put it into simple words, was an emotional wreck when he read the headlines on the Daily Prophet stating that Hermione Granger was dead. He had locked himself inside his room for a week and refused to be nourished and groomed.

He only emerged from his room on her funeral day, August 5, 1997. He was expected to be there, seeing that he was a Hogwarts student and a spy for the Order of the Phoenix. Teddy and Blaise had flocked down his side as they listened to Potter and Weasley's eulogy for their best friend. Both of his best friends were grave that day. Blaise had been giving him weird looks all throughout the day but he ignored them.

After all, Blaise knew he was in love with Hermione Granger. And it irritated him to no end.

His drastic change was so visible once the school-year started, even daft Theodore Nott noticed. He blamed it on him being a Death Eater and a spy at the same time and his best friend bought it. He was utterly glad of his thickness.

Draco had faithfully visited her grave ever since that day. The first few days were so painful he would only glance at it for minutes before running back to Hogwarts as fast as possible. But as days went by, he was able to stay for an hour, more than even. There were times when he would talk to her softly, telling her that he missed her annoying presence and cursing her for her death without knowing how he had adored everything about her ever since he laid eyes on her.

After those brief, coveted moments with her grave, he would conjure a fresh tulip and place it on her tombstone. It was her favorite flower, he long discovered. It was on Valentine's Day when he knew. He saw Potter giving her a tulip and overhearing him saying that it was her most favorite flower.

He never charmed them everlasting. It gave him an excuse to go back everyday just so he could replace the previous, wilted flower.

Hermes Austen then came along and upon one glance at his new roommate, he instantly disliked him. There was something mysterious hovering his whole being and it screamed 'danger' to Draco. He tried his best to avoid him at all cost but it was hard, seeing that both Teddy and Blaise took a liking to their new roommate.

He thought he would hate him until Merlin-knows-what. The fact that he spewed all over him was enough to put him in Draco's list of "People Who Doesn't Deserve to Grace in My Presence". But there was something about him that compelled him to save him, _twice_, and up until then he never understood why.

There were times when he swore that he acted unusual things that _Hermione Granger _normally did. It was enough reason to hate him more for making him remember her.

And then, he discovered that his roommate was actually Hermione Granger in disguise. Mixed feelings surfaced in his heart and the most dominant one was anger. He had avoided her like she was the plague herself until he confronted her and cursed her for lying to Teddy and Blaise, to all the Slytherins that welcomed Hermes Austen with open arms.

He never told her that he was so hurt because _she_ lied to _him_, for causing the misery he had felt on the day that he discovered she died.

Draco had completely avoided her for a whole week after their confrontation. And it was, without any doubt, hell. He felt like a bloody bastard for the whole week. Her words rang loudly inside his head and they haunted him, even in his dreams.

He knew he had been an inconsiderate and irrational jerk. Her reason was perfectly, well, _reasonable_. He had no right to be mad at her when she had to give up her identity and gender just so she could save her parents from Voldemort. He was feeling guilty for the whole week.

The blessed day came when she returned back really late at night with him being the only occupant in the common room. He knew it was his chance to apologize, to tell her that he completely understood what she was trying to reason out to him on one of his irrational days.

And he was so glad he grasped that chance.

He had no idea if his feelings were so glaringly obvious. For him it _was_. There were times when he thought that he was being too… affectionate in his own bizarre way. He had to stop himself countless times because, after all, she was still disguised as a _guy_. He did not want to rouse up any suspicions from his schoolmates.

His mind went back into reality when he thought he had seen her once again. But then, she was gone in a whirlwind. A frown materialized on his face. _'What might be something she had to do without me?' _he asked himself, absentmindedly ruffling his head.

He shook his head to get rid of those thoughts. He was alone now; maybe he could seize this chance to buy some gifts for his best friends.

He walked inside a dingy bookstore, hoping to find a book for Blaise. Merlin, he was such a bookworm. Draco was so sure he would read any book he could see.

Next, he went to other shops to buy some of his close acquaintances some gifts. They were merely few, and so, he was able to finish it within an hour.

Teddy was next in his mind and predictably, what he wanted for Christmas was a bunch of sweets. Honeydukes was in sight and he quickly strode towards it, only to stop in front of a window of a nearby shop.

His eyes were instantly magnetized on the displayed butterfly-shaped hairclip. One corner of his lips quirked up into a small smirk. He remembered the hideous hair clip currently settled on top of the beautiful brunette's hair and he chuckled under his breath.

He finally knew what to give her.

Without any second thoughts, he walked inside the said shop and demanded the hairclip from an astonished shopkeeper.

* * *

Hermione happily strode towards Honeydukes, hands full of packages. She had bought gifts for all of her friends, except Teddy. She knew he would love another bunch of sweets for his towering supply.

Some of the gifts she bought were easy to buy, others were hard. She knew Blaise would love a new book. Pansy had moaned to her a few days before that the nail polish she bought was a grotesque one, thus, she bought the best one of the store (Yes, Pansy's obsession with her finally diminished and they were actually friends now). Little Mina wanted new parchments for taking down more notes about her almighty Lord Theodore. Crabbe and Goyle would love to have a new pair of mittens for their humongous hands. Millicent had destroyed her scarf and she was desperate for a new one. Ivan Raft used up his supply of his broomstick cleaner and he wanted a new one. There were a few more for some of her Slytherin friends and she fervently hoped that they would appreciate it, seeing that they were mostly rich kids and she only had a tight budget.

The only Gryffindor she was planning to give a gift was Harry. She bought him a miniature version of Meteorite 1997. He still had not gotten over his obsession with the said version of broomstick. As much as she wanted to buy him the real one, she could only afford the smaller version. She hoped that Harry would understand.

She had bought a gift for Malfoy, too. He was seriously the hardest of them all. She never really knew what to give him, seeing that on her first few months as a Slytherin, he was always glaring at her from afar.

Finally, she settled on a set of quills complete with color-changing ink. Hermione had observed that Draco had this habit of chewing the end of his writing tool, ruining it in the end.

The small bell on top of the door jingled when she came in. Hermione's eyes widened. It seemed like Honeydukes was the only place swarmed by a lot of people, mostly children, in Hogsmeade.

She blinked five times then laughed. What should she expect? This was a sweet shop; sweets were always in demand in Hogsmeade.

Tiredly sighing, she tried to break through the mass of people. She was shoved and elbowed countless times and by the time that she reached the end of the shop, she was panting. A scowl settled on her face and she glared at people who glanced her way.

"Feeling touchy now, eh?"

Her head whipped at the source of the voice and saw a smirking Malfoy, nonchalantly leaning against one of the shelves with his arms crossed over his chest. Her eyebrows quirked up upon seeing the paper bags neatly settled beside his feet. "You went Christmas shopping, too?" she asked.

"Oh, don't look so surprised," he snarled, glancing at her own paper bags. "Breaking news, nuisance, I have friends, too."

She merely chuckled and waved a dismissive hand. Her eyes roamed around the shop again and sighed. "I'm assuming you're going to buy sweets for Teddy," she said, glancing back at him. "But how can we without leaving with bruises and broken bones?"

"Well," he said, removing his wand from his sleeve, "I can always bewitch them."

Hermione glared. "Not everything is solved by magic, Malfoy," she reprimanded. She released another sigh. "This is going to be a longer day."

She looked back at him. "Come on; if you want to leave here as soon as possible, then we better make haste." She started to walk, or rather dodge, the other customers.

The brunette was suddenly shoved by a bunch of giggly girls and almost toppled. Thankfully, Draco's arms instinctively wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her back flush against his chest.

Her breath knocked out of her throat and she growled in irritation. "Ah, seriously, these girls should watch where they're going." She bristled in his arms. "No need to rush in getting sweets. This is Honeydukes, for Merlin's sake! They'll ne - ."

The words died in her lips as soon as she craned her neck to look over her shoulder at Draco…

… How could she talk when her lips just gingerly brushed against his?

The touch was so light… so gentle… it felt almost dreamlike. It was a brief brush, almost like a feather gingerly brushing the cheek. But its effect on both teens was _tremendous_.

Hermione broke free from Draco's secure hug, his hands falling limply on his sides. He was staring at her with such huge eyes and she had this inkling feeling that she mirrored his expression. Her fingers shot up to her lips and took a step back, dazed. "I-I…" she paused and cleared her throat, taking another step back, "am going to look for Teddy's fa-favorite sweets."

She sharply turned around and almost ran away from him.

As soon as she disappeared in the throng of bustling customers, Draco _breathed _again.

"Holy… _fuck_," he hissed, taking a step back as if suddenly hit by a huge force. He bit his bottom lip but freed it almost immediately. Damn, his lips had a faint taste of Hermione's strawberry lip gloss.

He released a loud 'whoosh', his cheeks coloring so darkly people nearby looked at him strangely.

Without any thoughts, he zoomed out of the shop.

He seriously needed fresh air.

* * *

Silence.

It was fragile and the two Slytherins did the best they could to make it undisturbed.

They had been like that ever since they came back from Hogsmeade. Quiet. There were a few nods, soft 'yeses' or 'nos', and then everything would revert back to silence. It was a wonder how they managed to find each other after that _incident _in Honeydukes. Hermione had comforted her embarrassed self at the farthest and darkest corner of the sweet shop whilst Draco ran almost two miles around the whole village until he was panting for air.

They had accidentally met in front of the Three Broomsticks and images of the unexpected kiss came rushing back to their minds.

"Let's go back?" Draco managed to blurt out, his cheeks the envy of all tomatoes in Professor Sprout's greenhouses.

"Okay," she choked out and together, they walked back to Hogwarts in an awkward silence.

His footsteps were ringing loudly against the almost vacant hall. Hermione thought his steps were distinct. It was so… so _him_. No wonder she connected the mysterious footsteps she heard on the night when he eavesdropped and on the day he harshly told her to meet him in the Room of Requirement, then stomped back in unadulterated anger.

She peeked at him at the corner of her eyes. There was a deep frown on his face, his eyebrows were joined together, and his eyes looked troubled. He was bothered.

A blush slowly crept back on her cheeks and she instinctively stared at his lips. She had kissed a few guys before. Ron, Viktor, even Cormac Mc-Bloody-Laggen. Ron's were awkward. Viktor's were too rough. Cormac's were downright disgusting. She was not inexperienced at all. And so, it was bothering her greatly now that the brief kiss they shared was affecting her so much.

"Granger?"

Her mouth instantly became dry. He was calling her old last name again and despite the danger of uttering such names in an open corridor, she did not have the heart to reprimand him. "Ye-yeah?" she managed to rasp out, then cleared her throat afterwards.

He shuffled for a moment. "Um… about - ."

"Forget it," she eagerly stated. Her blush came back full-force. "I-I mean, that did not mean anything, yeah?"

They paused in front of the bare wall guarding the Slytherin common room. The brunette whispered the password and they were gained access inside their abode.

Draco had fallen a few steps back away from Hermione. A frown appeared on her face. He did not answer back. "Malfoy?"

"What?"

"It didn't mean anything, right?" she asked once again. She had no idea what possessed her to stare right back into Draco's grey eyes. Before she could even comprehend the strange look in his eyes, he instantly wore his mask of indifference to guard his current feelings. "Right, Malfoy?"

His lips pursed into a tight line. "Of course, nuisance," he said. His infamous smirk then appeared on his face. "You think it meant something?"

Hermione looked scandalized. "Sh-shut up, you idiot!" she retorted back. "What gave you that bloody idea?" A huff escaped from her lips. "Oh right, I forgot. I'm currently accompanying the man with the biggest ego than the solar system."

He scoffed in reply.

She rolled her eyes and turned her face away from him to hide the secret smile on her face. The uneasiness between the two of them slightly diminished. "Whatever," she said, taking a few steps away from Draco. "I'm dead tired and I want to go to sleep now."

She removed her bewitched glasses and brandished out her wand.

"What are you doing?" Genuine confusion was heard at the tone of his voice.

The brunette looked back at him, annoyed. "Isn't it obvious, Malfoy?" she asked. "I'm going to wear my disguise again."

This time, he was the one who rolled his eyes. "It was obvious that you missed being dressed like a bloody girl," he stated matter-of-factly. "You said it yourself, Granger. _We _are the only persons here in the Slytherin common room. You can take off your disguise for a while."

Her eyes lit up with his suggestion. "Yeah… well, you're right," she said, ignoring the triumphant smirk on his face.

Silence ensued once again. They stared at each others eyes for a full minute before Hermione broke their staring contest, uncomfortable. "I'm going retire back to our room…"

"Erm… I'll sleep on the couch."

She chuckled in amusement. "Merlin, Malfoy, we've slept on the same room for months already," she said. "What's the point of sleeping on the couch?"

Call him a womanizer… a _cad_. Heck, call him a _man-whore_. But Draco was a decent man. When he knew that a girl was not interested in him, _especially _the girl of his dreams, he would be a nice gentleman around her. Sure, he'd slept in the same room with Hermione Granger for months now, but that was before he knew that his roommate was a disguised lady. And besides, both Blaise and Teddy were also in the room.

And now that she was looking like her usual self… the blond had to gulp. Merlin forbid, but he had inappropriate dreams about her for ages. Now knowing that she was in the same room with him, _fucking _alone, his testosterones seemed to be in an overdrive.

"You're making it sound like we're a married couple, Malfoy," she said, cracking a humored smile. Draco blanched. "Like we just had a fight and everything's awkward so you choose sleep on the couch." Her smile froze on her face, now realizing what she had uttered. She darkly blushed and nervously coughed, partially hiding her ruddy face. "Seriously, no need to act so gentlemanly around me. It's so unlike you. And besides, you won't be doing anything… inappropriate, yeah?"

A sarcastic laugh escaped from his lips. _'Oh, if you only know what I do to you in my dreams, Granger,' _he spat inside his head.

Hermione mistook his laugh as disbelief. "Exactly," she said with a smile. She turned her face away from him. "I'll be… retiring now to our room. Just…" She cleared her throat. "Goodnight, Malfoy."

He nodded his head even though he knew Hermione wouldn't see it. He just merely watched as she strode quickly up to their room and leaving him completely alone.

As soon as she was out of sight, a soft, tortured groan escaped from his lips. "This will be a long, tormenting night, Draco Malfoy."

With that, he soon followed Hermione's lead and walked up to their room.

* * *

**Review Responses: **

**CheshireCat23: **Well, here it is XD Although, Christmas is done, treat this as a Christmas gift. Aww, so what did you think about their "alone" time. Goodness, I think I figuratively died after writing the whole chapter. Anyway, thanks for the lovely review. Hope to see more from you in the future!

**slytherin-pwincess-no: ***Bows down* Thank you, thank you. Before posting new chapters, I try to make my work as good as possible. Thank Merlin, they're not in vain. Oh, you really think she's a poor, poor girl for having three boys, _hot _ones, no less, pining for her? I'd instantly die if I discover that somebody as gorgeous as Draco Malfoy has a crush on me XD. Haha, anyway, thanks for your review!

**haileydelacour101: **Teddy not knowing about Hermes Austen's secret makes the story all the more hilarious, don't you think? He's just TOO adorable for me XD Imma make him suffer for a few more chapters and think that he's really swinging the other way. About updating a little sooner… I don't think so. I'm an incoming senior here in our country and our college entrance exams are looming. GAH, hence, I have review classes and all. But I assure you that I'll be able to update no later than Thursday. Thanks for the review, by the way!

**Karate Chic: **Your review is almost right, honey. Nope, I'm telling you, Harry's not _falling _in love with Hermione XD Harry will never, ever fall in love with Hermione :p Harry has Ginny, remember? Their relationship is purely platonic but I don't blame you for your assumption. I have this weird feeling that I make their scenes a little sweet… but that's how I wanted a brother and sister act, anyway. So, thanks for your review!

**Isabella120: **Aww, love your adjective! So… so… British-y XD As for green to represent Teddy and Blaise's jealousy, it's all thanks to my little brother. When I was typing the last chapter, he was asking me for idioms for his homework and the first thing that came into my mind was "green-eyed monster", thus, the concept of this story. Anyway, thanks for your lovely review!

**LookingforNirvana: **Thank you! I think this is adorable, too. It's so adorable and light-hearted and sweet as opposed to my sobby (if that's even a word) "11 Things". Oh, and I absolutely adore Theodore Nott here, too! I was sad he was rarely mentioned in the books; hence, I gave him his own adorable personality. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**little-lion-girl42: **Well, here's the Dramione goodness you couldn't wait for! So, how was it? If you're not yet satisfied, do wait for the next chapter. It's the continuation of their Christmas time together and I swear, it keeps getting better and better. And of course, this is Dramione; therefore, there are more Dramione moments in the future chapters. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Schnuersenkel: **Well, at least you gave some time to post your review to the previous chapter XD I KNOW RIGHT! She is such a lucky, lucky girl and even if I'm the author of the story and I manipulate the whole plot, I'm still envious of her. Boo Hermione Granger for making Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott fall in love with her :D But seriously, thank you for your review!

**Jenna Linda: **A love square XD GAH, it's making me laugh! Ooh, a love square in my story? How adorable :p Well, here's the Hermione and Draco alone time in the empty, EMPTY common room. Next chapter will be the continuation of their alone time so do stay tuned and wait for my update. Anyway, thanks for your review :)

**Nicconicco: **All right, all right, you're right *blows a raspberry* Haha, well, thank you for thinking the previous chapter was 'funny, sweet, and awesome'. I do try my best to entertain my readers. Well, is this chapter epic enough for you? *shifty eyes* I do hope so :p The next chapter will be a continuation of this, by the way. Haha, anyway, that's all. Thanks for your review XD

**miaspotter: **And it's sweet of you to review :D Haha, thank you for your review. Now, what did you think of this chapter? Still sweet enough?

**flamingbunnies: **I believe it's a love square now :p What with Draco, Blaise, and Teddy all having crushes on our heroine. Yeah, I think Blaise is also a suitable partner for Hermione. I mean, I read a couple of Blaise/Hermione stories and I think they're not bad at all. But, it breaks my heart to read stories of Hermione with other guys XD For me, she will always belong to Draco. Well, that's my opinion only. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Lost O'Fallon Girl: **Honestly? I thought that after revealing that Draco's the one who places the tulip on Hermione's grave, many people were not surprised at all. So, I'm not surprised, too when you claim _you _weren't surprised it was Draco. As for how he discovered, this chapter answered it for you, right? :D I do think it's also hilarious that she disguised herself as a boy and became a Slytherin. Although, in my opinion, if I were in her shoes, I'd suck at hiding my secret. Hehe, just so you know. Anyway, thanks for your lovely review!

**beautifly92: **I know right? XD I do like the idea of connecting green with jealousy *wink* Well, yeah, I guess it's pure Dramione goodness in this chapter and the next one after this because Hermione's dressed as a girl. Although, in the future chapters, there would still be Dramione goodness despite her disguising her female attributes. Well, thanks for reviewing!

**ellenloveforever: **Thank you for thinking this story is awesome *grins* I do try my best, just so you know. I hope this chapter made you think this story is awesome-r *shifty eyes* Anyway, thanks for your review!

**kon: **Cute! Cute! Cute review, too! XD Short but it made me smile. Aww, and cute name, too :p Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**Kennedy: **If you read my author's notes in the previous chapters (specifically Chapter 3), you'd know that I _did _base this fic on "You're Beautiful" (lovely Korean drama, by the way). But their personalities and a very few scenes are similar. The plot is solely mine; I thought of it for months and typed the whole thing. But, thank you for thinking this is so far a great fanfic. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Fawzie: **Well, I do think that Harry and Hermione's scenes were slightly OOC. Although I know that Canon!Harry cares greatly for our beloved brunette, he was never that showy in the books; and I think Hermione deserved more love from her best friends, don't you think? It's always her, her, and her. Therefore, I created a Harry that does show his love for Hermione. Besides, she faked her death, remember? And she has to do such a dangerous mission; hence, Harry's slight OOCness is perfectly acceptable. :D Aww, I do love the name "Silver Quartet", too. Anyway, thank you for your very insightful review. I appreciated it XD

**LivviBelle: **Because darling, nobody can resist Hermione Granger? XD Aww, wow, what a huge compliment. One of the best fanfics? Thank you… thank you very much. Your review somehow lifted up my spirits. Thanks for your great review!

**LoonyLovey: ***sob* *sob* It's a great honor for a writer every time a reader tells her she's an _awesome _writer. Inflates my ego, seriously… XD Oh, this story will continue; don't worry. I've _finished _the whole story, if you remember reading it in one of my author's notes. I've completed the whole story from the first chapter to the prologue. All I'm doing now is doing some last minute editing before posting the next chapter online. Gah, anyway, thanks for your lovely review!

**Cinna16: **Oh, truth be told, I've also been anticipating of the chapter wherein Hermione removes her disguise and be a girl once again! I can't wait for the reactions of my readers. So what do you think, so far? XD As for your question (_Can this story get any better?_), I don't know what to answer. What do you think? LOL, anyway, thanks for your review!

**Roses of Dawn: **Thank you for stating your interest in my story. Now, I am _interested _to know what you think of this chapter *wink* *wink*. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**dmlainey: **And I do look forward to your future reviews XD Thanks for reviewing!

**SHChevalier: **A love square… you're like the nth person who told me that! XD Aww, and Hermione not loving anybody yet? That sucks for the three gorgeous Slytherins, don't you think? She'll choose Draco? Are you really sure? Then better die now… I WAS KIDDING. Of course she'll choose Draco. God, I'm spoiling you now, aren't I? But I think the answer is obvious, don't you think? After all this is a _Dramione _romance story. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**bbyebiebercozoftattoo: **Oh gosh, what a compliment *blushes* Thank you; I'm humbled. Haha, and I thank you for loving my fic. Like all authors out there, we treat our stories like our babies. So far, "Only a Pretense" is my most favorite baby :D Oh, and thank you for loving the pacing. I try to be not too fast and yet too slow at the same time. I think it's an achievement for me if some people tell me the pacing is good just the way it is. Anyway, thanks for your lovely review!

**B.S: **Thank you, thank you. I try to make this story a good one and for you to say that it's "one of the best fanfics ever", I'm utterly flattered. Thank you very much :D I think my eyes are starting to get a little hazy, too, all because I kept on reading and writing fanfics. Gah, I need a clear vision for my future XD As for your last question, why not stay tuned for my updates? You'll know the answer in the future chapters :p Anyway, thank you for your review!

**

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**

**A/N: Surprised I posted review responses? XD Again, it's summer here. 'Nuff said. **

**SO, how was it? Did you like it? Did I satisfy your hungry Dramione minds? Haha, I made them kiss! Although… accidentally… Oh well, at least they did kiss. I was actually waiting for this chapter :p Can you feel the love in the air… I've literally melted into a gooey pool of fluffiness after typing the part wherein Draco was walking alone in the wintry streets of Hogsmeade and contemplating his stupidity for falling in love with Hermione Granger *oh, sigh*. AND THE KISS… Ooh, if you want more, I'll give more in the next chapter. See the 'Part I' beside the title? It means there's a 'Part II' (Oh, no shit, Sherlock XD)**

**ANYWAY, I'll stop right here now. I am utterly glad that my reviews for this story are increasing :D I thought it wasn't getting enough attention like my "11 Things". And speaking of "11 Things", I'm still getting reviews even if I've finished it like ages ago. To those who read, reviewed, and cried (some also bashed me for making them cry), I am sincerely thankful. **

**Haha, so, that's it for now! I think this all-nighter thing is taking its toll on me now. Once again, make me happy by reviewing okay? **

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe**

**P.S. I'm writing a new story :D It's actually only composed of five chapters and I'm currently finishing the second chapter. I will be posting it as soon as I finished typing the fifth chapter. It's actually a sequel to "Alphabet Love: Inspector Draco Malfoy". I got an idea as soon as some people voiced out their want for a sequel. Thus, I'm making it and so far, I'm quite satisfied with it. Do wait for it! I'll be posting it some time. **


	23. Christmas Spirit: Part II

**Disclaimer: I'm still wicked. I'm still awesome. I'm still me. I'm still WickedlyAwesomeMe. So nope, sorry to disappoint, but I ain't JK Rowling :D**

**A/N: Surprised? I updated a day earlier (well depends on where you are living) but nonetheless, I updated earlier! Woot, summer does have perks *wink* *wink* I have a major announcement at the end of this chapter so do read it. I know for a fact that some of you skip it but please, still read it (I'm talking from experience, mind you XD).**

**Anyway, without further ado, I present to you, Chapter Twenty-Three! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Christmas Spirit (Part II)**

* * *

"Granger, wake up!" Draco snarled, gingerly shaking her shoulder to rouse her up. "Oh, for goodness' sake! Breakfast is about to end and if you do not lift that sorry arse of yours, I'm going to 'Imperio' you."

The brunette on the bed released a disgruntled sigh and shifted on her bed to stare straight into Draco's annoyed face. "And a Happy Christmas to you, too, Malfoy," she said, slowly sitting up on her bed. "My, oh my, someone just discovered that Father Christmas is not real."

He rolled his eyes and took a step back from her bed and crossed his arms over his chest. His defensive position, she long observed. Malfoy always did that when he was feeling uneasy. Hermione wondered what made him so uncomfortable around her. They'd been roommates for months now and –

- _'Oh, right,' _she thought as two, pink patches formed on her cheeks. _'That.' _

Hermione released another sigh through her nose and reluctantly stood up. Draco had already dressed into his newly pressed and pristine clothes. She looked at her baggy shorts and shirt then made a peeved noise. "You can go on now if you're already hungry, Malfoy," she murmured under her breath, avoiding his gaze. "You didn't have to wait for me."

Her eyes snapped back at him and she almost released a small chuckle. He looked like he was thinking that he was the biggest idiot in the whole universe.

"Right," he said, frustrated. He turned around, his back now facing her, and strode towards their door. "Just make haste, nuisance."

With that, he walked briskly out of their room, not even giving her a glance back.

As soon as he was gone, Hermione plopped down on her bed and groaned. _'Damnable unexpected kiss!' _she screamed inside her mind and rolled on her side, her eyes facing the window. _'Now, everything is so awkward around him and I have to spend a __**whole week **__with him, and only him, as my bloody companion.' _

Hermione actually thought that as soon as she drifted on into dreamland, reality would be forgotten. But _no_. The kiss they shared in Honeydukes haunted her, even in her dream that night. Everything, at first, was so wonderful. She dreamt of flying above the clouds despite her fear of heights when light feathers suddenly fell from the sky, gently brushing against her skin. She was laughing contentedly in her dream, feeling ticklish because of the mischievous feathers. The next thing she knew, one became traitorous and turned into Draco Malfoy, his lips soon brushing against her own.

Her cheeks heated up ten-fold and she buried her face behind her pillow in a vain attempt of concealing it. She had this inkling feeling that she would never be able to walk inside Honeydukes ever again without blushing like a silly schoolgirl.

She sighed and then pushed herself off her bed. It was Christmas, after all. She shouldn't be hiding here in her room and avoid Malfoy as much as she could. He never planned of doing that unintentional kiss. She shouldn't be too hard on the bloke.

The brunette was about to walk towards the loo but was then tripped by a foreign object lying on the floor. She landed with a soft 'thud', muffled by their lush carpet. Hermione rolled on her back and moaned in pain, rubbing her aching arms.

Grumbling, she stood up once again and glared at the offending object, only to see gifts at the foot of her bed. Her anger diminished and a warm smile broke on her lips. Of course! It was Christmas and Christmas meant gifts, too.

Freshening up completely forgotten, Hermione plopped herself down in front of her Christmas gifts and started to tear open the wrapping papers.

Teddy gave her – Hermione had to laugh out loud – a _teddy bear_. He said that even if he was not beside her, she should just look at this stuffed toy and remember him. He also thanked her for the sweets she had given him for Christmas. He then proceeded on telling her about his adventures in his home together with his baby sister. His letter was so long; Teddy used a foot and a half parchment just to tell her everything he wanted to say. It made the brunette smile. He used to tell her that he hated doing essays, especially a foot-long, and here he was, giving her a letter that was _longer_.

Blaise's gift was the most surprising of all. He had given her a book, and not just any book. He had given her a book entitled _"101 Ways on Disguising Oneself: A Guide to the Desperate"_. She had stared at it strangely for a full minute before dropping it with a 'bang'. Blaise never ceased to surprise her.

She also received numerous gifts from other acquaintances. Pansy, Millicent, Second Year Mina, Crabbe and Goyle, Ivan Raft, and many more. She actually looked at her gifts in appreciation, extravagant they may be since they all came from rich families. She appreciated them, nonetheless.

Harry had given her high-heeled shoes as a joke, stating that if ever she had to dress into a girl, she could use it. Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes, although a smile was on her face. _'Oh Harry,' _she thought. He proceeded on thanking her for the miniature Meteorite 1997 and saying how everything was somehow somber in the Burrow without her there. This information had made her smile.

Lastly, she was utterly surprised that Draco had bought her a gift. She never expected that he'd think of giving her one, seeing that he always deemed her as an annoying cockroach in his life. If ever he'd think of giving her one, he would give her something that would only pester Hermione for the rest of her life.

_But no_.

And, oh Merlin, his gift was the most beautiful of all. It was a gorgeous butterfly-shaped hairclip. Judging by the fact that it was studded with emeralds, it was expensive. She remembered his distaste upon seeing the 'poor excuse' of a hairclip she used yesterday and smiled.

Accompanying the hairclip was a stemmed tulip (a fresh one, she noted). This made Hermione wonder if he was still faithfully visiting her grave. She made a mental note to check it out as soon as possible. There was also a short letter, stating that she should use the hair accessory to fix her unruly bird's nest. The brunette rolled her eyes, thinking that the letter was so like him.

She had opened all of her gifts now. Hermione hid all of them under her bed or in her trunk and walked inside the loo to take a quick shower.

* * *

"Why weren't you in breakfast this morning?"

The brunette whipped around and met Draco Malfoy's mercurial eyes. A small frown was seen on his face, his arms crossed against his chest.

Hermione raised an eyebrow and slightly cocked her head to the right. "I didn't know you were waiting for me, Malfoy," she said, looking away. She was not able to catch the blush that suddenly sprinkled on his pale cheeks. "I was planning to, I swear. But after seeing that the Hogwarts grounds are covered in snow already, I couldn't resist the beckoning of this winter wonderland."

She looked back at Malfoy and made an angry noise. "Merlin, I cannot believe I was not able to witness the snowing. That's what I'd been looking forward to ever since the Christmas season began." She pushed up her glasses up the bridge of her nose and huffed. "So much for waiting."

Draco rolled his eyes at her melodrama. His feet slowly brought him towards her until he was standing mere meters beside her. "So what?" he asked. "It's only snow, Austen. There's no need to go all huffy over a trivial matter."

"People never appreciated the most beautiful things in life," she said, crossing her own arms against her chest. A frown appeared on her face. "I hope Harry was here. He would have appreciated this scenery with me."

A blaze of jealousy ignited in his chest. "Potter again, eh?" he asked cautiously, slowly lowering himself on the ground. He ignored the fact that his trousers might get damp because of snow. "One more mention of The-Boy-Who-Lived then I'll think something is really going on between the two of you."

A laugh of disbelief escaped from her lips. "Harry and me? That's preposterous, Malfoy! And besides, he has Ginny. Ooh, Gin will seriously kill me if she discovered I'm having this illicit affair with her boyfriend," she exclaimed, followed by more chuckles. She followed his lead and sat down beside him, a smile now on her face. "Although, I must admit, Harry had been my first ever crush. Even before Ron. From first year to early second year, you know. It just… disappeared after Ron saved me from" – she gave him a meaningful glance – "you know."

And knew it he did. He broke their eye contact and stared straight ahead. The day he had called her _Mudblood _was the day his puny, little heart broke. He did not need some reminding of that day, especially from her.

"What do you plan on doing today?" Hermione asked for a change of topic. His eyes snapped back into her and noticed that she was also staring straight ahead.

"I honestly don't know, Granger," he said, averting his eyes away from her. "You decide. You're the one who insisted to make this the best Christmas I ever had."

Hermione snorted, covering up a laugh. "Yeah well, Teddy once told me that you're always the one in charge when it came to planning a schedule."

"I don't know what to do, nuisance," he repeated, followed by a sigh.

"But what we'll we do today?" she asked again, insistent.

"I dunno. Think of something. That's what you're good at, right? Thinking."

"I don't know what to think," Hermione shot back, glaring at Malfoy. "You decide."

"No, you."

"_You_."

"Do I need to spell it out loud for you?" he snarled, matching up her glare. "_You _decide, Austen. Y-O-U."

Hermione, annoyed, scooped up a handful of snow and threw it into his direction. It hit him squarely on his chest. A string of curse words escaped from his lips as the clamp of the cold snow dribbled down his jumper. Laughing, Hermione raised up her hands in mock surrender. "Hey, hey, you were annoying me," she said. She honestly did not like the look that he was giving her. "You knew you deserved that, Malfoy."

"Payback's bitch, Granger," he growled. Hermione giggled and sprang up, trying to get away from the menacing blond as much as possible, armed with snowballs on his hands.

An all-out snowball fight – _war _– broke out. The two threw numerous snowballs into each other's direction as much as they could. Hermione had been constantly hit on the head and the chest, emitting a new round of giggles from the brunette and taunts from Draco. He, on the other hand, had been hit in different parts of his body, seeing that she was blindingly throwing the snowball towards him. He even cursed so loud after she almost hit him close to _home_. He was only awarded with merry laughter from the brunette.

It had continued for perhaps half an hour; the two did not really know at all. They had silently agreed to stop as soon as both of them were panting for oxygen and their body was damp from the snow.

Hermione had been laughing still, bent over as she clutched her aching stomach. She could not believe she was laughing so hard now. Ever since her parents were Voldemort-napped, she had not laughed this hard.

Draco seemed to forget to wear his mask of indifference this time. Instead, a humongous smile was seen on his face, his eyes dancing in laughter as he stared at the girl of his dreams.

The brunette straightened up and stared back into her playful opponent, a smile still stretched widely on her face.

And that was when she noticed the smile on his face.

For the second time in her whole life, Hermione Granger swore her heart stopped beating _again_.

Her eyes widened for a bit, the smile on her face faltering. That traitorous expression was on his face again – the one that made her so distracted during their Quidditch match against Harry's team that injured both of them.

"You…" she choked. "You have a bloody dimple!" She had blurted out her bizarre observation in a rush, realizing how embarrassing the words that came out from her mouth. Her cheeks blazed in unadulterated shame and she looked away from him.

Draco's smile, on the other hand, completely wiped off from his face. His eyes widened in horror as he blatantly stared at her. _'She just did not…' _he said, his astonishment growing bigger as more minutes passed by. "L-lies, Austen!" he spat. Oh, how his father would kill her in the most imaginative way for saying such a… such a _sissy _accusation to a Malfoy.

The brunette made a noise of indignation and glared back at him, albeit the pinkness of her cheeks. "It was there, I swear!" she retorted back, her index pointing at somewhere on his cheek. "Smile again for me so that I'll see it again."

"Bloody hell, Granger, I'm not doing _anything _for you!" he cried, swatting her accusatory finger. A little voice inside his head laughed hysterically in disbelief, reminding him that his deepest, darkest secret was to do _everything_ for the brunette standing in front of him.

"Don't make me more embarrassed, you idiotic Ferret!" she exclaimed back, crossing her arms across her chest. "Just admit that you have a bloody dimple!"

"_Just admit you have a bloody dimple_," he mimicked sarcastically. "I am not admitting any lies, Granger. Especially to you."

Her mouth opened, ready to retort a comeback, but then she chose to close it once again. Her cheeks reddened more, this time because of frustration, and she growled at Malfoy before looking away. "Fine," she spat.

"Fine," he spat back.

"_Fine_." She was hissing now and Draco couldn't help but to quirk a small smirk. Hermione looked extremely adorable now.

"_Fine_." Hermione took a peek at him at the corner of her eyes. She was trying hard not to smile. He looked extremely adorable now.

Silence ensued. An amused Draco stared straight at Hermione. He was the one who broke the silence.

"Wow, I must say that we were rivaling Theodore's immaturity back there," he confessed.

A small chuckle escaped from Hermione's lips, her early frustration forgotten, and then nodded. "More of like a moody, pregnant woman," she corrected, also looking straight back at him. "How come we are so pleasant to each other first and then be at each other's throats the next? Ron and I used to be like… this. But _milder_. And that is saying something."

"You get under my nerves, Granger." He was saying the truth.

She stuck out her tongue immaturely. "Ditto, Ferret-boy," she teased. "The feeling is extremely mutual."

He hummed in reply and sighed. The ambiance around them reverted into a comfortable one and Draco found it so weird. He used to think that if he were to have a decent conversation with Hermione, he'd be either tongue-tied or blurting out hurtful words to mask his discomfort.

"Do you think we should go back now?" she asked, snapping him off his stupor. "We are completely drenched from head to toe and if we are to stay here for a few more minutes, we'll be sick 'til the end of the Christmas break."

Draco nodded his head in agreement and turned around to go back to Hogwarts. His feet were crunching the snow underneath him; some droplets splashed into his face. He then realized that he could only hear his own footsteps, not hers.

He turned around, slightly irritated. "Oi," he exclaimed. "I thought we should be…"

His words died in his lips, now finally realizing that it was actually snowing. He looked up into the sky and watched as cold, fluffy snow fell down from the clouds, some already landing on his nose.

He looked back at Hermione and she was the absolute picture of pure bliss. Her eyes were lit up in joy as she gingerly stretched out her right hand, mesmerized as tiny snowflakes landed on her hands and instantly melted. Some snowflakes were clinging on her hair and eyelashes already.

Draco thought she looked pretty silly right now but…

… Lord, she was _so _beautiful.

He took a sharp intake of breath and had to greatly restrain himself from roughly grabbing her and kissing her senselessly until she forgot her name. "Granger," he choked, his voice a little strangled.

She seemed to remember she still had a spectator. Hermione looked at Malfoy, her eyes still lit up in happiness. "Just a moment, Draco," she said. Her attention then shifted back to the snow.

He merely nodded, his cheeks turning pink. He did not point out that both of them might get sick if they stayed a little longer. He did not point out that her hands were shaking a little and her nose was turning red with the cold. He most especially did not point out that she just unconsciously addressed him by his christened name.

He only watched her.

* * *

"AHCHOO!" She sneezed, glaring at the smirk plastered on the handsome blond's face. "If you are going to say something rude, Malfoy, then better shut up."

"Shutting up," he said, raising his hands in defense. He let his arms fall limply back on both of his sides and stayed silent. He was still reeling from the beautiful scene he had just witnessed a while ago. He did not have the heart to mock her, scared that he would suddenly blurt out the numerous compliments about her currently running in his mind.

"Malfoy," she groaned, "can we stop by a loo? I can't hold it anymore."

He rolled his eyes and grumbled a soft 'yes' in reply.

Hermione then dashed to the nearest washroom she could see.

"Granger, wait!" he exclaimed. "That's…" She had completely disappeared inside the washroom and Draco just shrugged his shoulders, grinning mischievously. "This will be interesting."

He made a mental countdown inside his head and as soon as he reached 'one', a feminine shrill from Hermione and a string of curse words from an anonymous man was simultaneously heard.

"I-I'm sorry!" The brunette emerged from the washroom, flushed from head to toe. She was covering her face in an attempt to hide her face. "I… wasn't looking at where I'm going."

The man, whom Draco recognized as one Michael Corner of Ravenclaw, growled angrily at Hermione. He, too, was red from head to toe as he stomped away from the duo, extremely embarrassed himself.

As soon as his footsteps faded, Hermione took a peek in between her fingers. After making sure that he was completely gone, Hermione furiously turned to Draco's direction, arms menacingly perched on her waists.

Draco was laughing so boisterously now. Hermione could already see some tears of mirth gathering at the corner of his eyes. And his blasted _adorable _dimple was present once again. It was enough to fuel her anger. "You… you git!" she exclaimed shrilly. "You did not warn me that I just went inside a boy's loo without wearing my disguise!"

He wheezed and tried to calm down to reply. "I… I tried to," he started in between of gasps, "but you were so oblivious! It was too tempting for me to refuse. Granger, you've forgotten that you are accompanying _me_. Have you forgotten how much hell I'd given you these past few years?"

"Oh, I've been wondering about that ever since I became your roommate, you bloody jerk," she snarled, face now furiously red. "Ugh, what if I was not wearing my bewitched glasses? My plan of saving my parents would have been busted!"

"But Corner did not recognize you," he pointed out. "No need to be so angry over this thing, Austen. I'm just having some fun. It's Christmas, after all." He stated the last part as if it was the most obvious thing in the whole wide world.

Her glare merely darkened and she turned around to stomp away from him. When she was a good three feet away from Draco, a sudden mighty force drew her back into him. She crashed into his chest and Draco instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist to steady her.

"What in Merlin's name…? MALFOY!" she thundered, looking up at him. "What are you doing now?"

"I'm not doing anything," he said, eyes wide. "I swear, nuisance. My wand is perfectly tucked inside my right sleeve. Unless…"

He slowly looked up into the ceiling, as if readying for his impending doom. A strange groan escaped from his lips and Hermione's blood instantly ran cold.

Slowly, she followed his lead and darted her eyes up into the ceiling, only to regret it soon after.

A mistletoe… so innocently perched, so bright and shining, so… "Holy shit." Draco never knew why but a small chuckle escaped from his lips after Hermione's curse.

"This isn't a laughing matter!" she sputtered out, cheeks reddening. She then realized that she was still trapped inside the blond's arms. Without any second thoughts, she pushed his chest roughly away from her, earning a scowl from him.

"Austen," he growled, "for your information, a lot of girls are actually _dying _just to be in your goddamn position. Come on; don't deny that you once fantasized kissing the Slytherin Sex God."

Ooh, his sudden audacity was astounding. Even he was surprised. But it was worth it, seeing that she flushed redder than ever and was looking so scandalized. Unbeknownst to him, a small blush also crept up into his cheeks.

"I… I cannot believe you!" she exclaimed shrilly, trying with all of her might to move as far away as possible without being hurtled back into his chest.

He sighed through his nose in frustration and rolled his eyes. "Come back here, you nuisance," he said, beckoning her into his arms. "Let's just get this over with, okay? And besides, we've ki-kissed before."

Her eyes widened suddenly. She had completely forgotten about that ever since they started their snowball war and now that he reminded her, it made their current predicament all the more embarrassing.

In a spur-of-the-moment, Hermione brandished her wand out and pointed it menacingly to the mistletoe.

"Fine, continue to do what I think you're planning," he said, annoyance in his voice. "Let's just see who'll be spending her whole Christmas break in the infirmary, covered with angry, _green_ boils." Her wand hand faltered, although a look of doubt was still present on her face. "Trust me, Granger. I've done that once after being stuck with the most grotesque person in the whole school."

"I'd rather get boils than kiss you, Malfoy," she spat, although her wand hand fell limply on her side. Draco merely raised his eyebrows as the brunette took a deep breath and made baby steps towards him. "_But_, I want to spend my whole Christmas break, the only opportunity where I can remove my disguise, as a healthy person so" – her eyes narrowed threateningly – "let's get this over with, Malfoy. And do not do any funny businesses or I swear, I'll blast off the Malfoy jewels and make you impotent in the future."

She was completely standing in front of him now when he rolled his eyes. "Oh, the drama, Austen," he said.

The brunette merely made an angry noise, her cheeks now furiously inflamed. "Do the initiative," she directed harshly. "After all, you're the one who's eager to kiss me."

**Bingo**.

"EXCUSE ME!" he thundered, eyes ablaze with fury. "What made you - ."

"Just give me the _damn _kiss, Malfoy," she beseeched. She was not looking directly at him.

Draco clamped his lips tightly and sighed once again to calm both of his frayed nerves _and _ecstatic testosterones. When he looked back at her, his eyes were hard with determination.

He gingerly cupped her right cheek and almost smiled when he felt it turn warmer by his mere touch. The blond gently forced her to look straight into his eyes. Once her chocolate eyes met his mercurial ones, he could clearly see the confusion and doubt in her eyes.

'_Oh god, she's so beautiful,' _he thought, a sharp stab of pain piercing through his heart.

His lips were hairsbreadth away from hers. The brunette's eyes fluttered shut. They were so closed tightly Draco guessed she could already see white spots behind her eyelids.

He could feel her hands shaking slightly and that had made him smile. Her nervousness was silly, seeing that they'd kissed, regardless of being accidental. But still, he found it quite endearing.

Draco saw that her eyebrows knitted together in confusion once he moved her face away from his. _'Oh, let me surprise you more, Granger,' _he thought as he neared his eyes against her cheek. He slowly fluttered his eyes against her ruddy cheek, his eyelashes brushing gently against it.

He was giving her a butterfly kiss.

* * *

Hermione, on the other hand, took a sharp intake of breath. A butterfly kiss, huh? She never expected that. It was such a… sweet gesture of affection. Her father used to do that on her cheek every time she was feeling so troubled. She never predicted in her whole life that one day, the almighty Draco Malfoy, the 'Slytherin Sex God' he quoted, would give her a butterfly kiss on her cheek. Just thinking about it sent the million _butterflies_ in her stomach in an overdrive.

He had pulled away now and stared straight into her eyes. His mercurial orbs were swirling with a myriad of indistinguishable emotions and before she could further delve into them, he wore his mask of indifference.

"Disappointed?" he cheekily asked, his infamous smirk seen on his face. "You'd rather be kissed on the lips, huh, nuisance?"

Her jaw dropped, affronted. "O-of course not!" she exclaimed, pushing him away from herself. His hand on her cheek fell gently to his side. "I'd rather play tonsil Quidditch with the Giant Squid than kiss you, Malfoy!"

Instead of being offended, he looked fairly amused. "Now, that's something I don't want to miss at all," he said. He did not give Hermione any more chance to retort something back because he took a few steps away from her. Once he was three feet away from her, a triumphant smile was seen on his face. "People _always _think that in order to break the spell of the mistletoes all over the school grounds, you have to kiss the person you're stuck with straight on the lips. They never realized that _any _kinds of kisses can work."

A small chuckle escaped from his lips as he swiveled around. He waved his hand before walking nonchalantly away from her, not even giving her one more glance.

Unknown to Hermione, his cheeks were inflamed just like hers. Heck, maybe even darker.

* * *

A satisfied moan escaped from Hermione's lips as she snuggled deeper into her comforter. The crackling fire wasn't enough to warm the whole common room; thus, she just grabbed her comforter from her bed, wrapped it around her shoulders, and contentedly stared at the fireplace.

Her Christmas break had been great for a while, albeit bizarre. Just the fact that she was able to dress as Hermione Granger (armed with her bewitched glasses) was enough to make her happy. But have her Christmas break accompanied by Malfoy? Bizarre indeed.

She had never seen this coming. Well, she was not able to see the kidnapping of her parents coming, either. And now, odd things had happened between them… a faint blush appeared on her face as her right hand unconsciously rubbed the spot where he placed butterfly kisses.

A shiver of unknown sensation ran down her spine. Whether lip-locked kisses or butterfly kisses, all of them gave the same strange, yet pleasant, feelings.

'_Oh, for heaven's sake,' _she growled inside, shaking her head vigorously. _'Snap out of it, Hermione Granger! They're not exactly the things you want to think about when you're supposed to be enjoying your break.' _

Her mind was just drifting off to a random funny encounter she had with Ron and Harry when Draco suddenly stepped in, two cups of steaming hot chocolate in his hands.

He seemed surprised to see her; he actually halted in his steps, took a step back, and widened his eyes upon seeing her.

They merely stared at each other for a full minute when he broke their eye contact and directed his eyes at the crackling fire. "Can't sleep?" he softly asked. "I honestly thought you'd be asleep now."

She blinked thrice before slowly looking at the fireplace, too. "Yeah, I guess," she said, a soft laugh escaping from her lips. "I… actually expected to find Ginny sleeping beside me and realizing she was not and I'm here in Hogwarts got me thinking so… yeah."

Silence ensued once again. Hermione actually thought that Draco had silently slipped off to his room and left her all alone. But when she felt the couch she was sitting on sag with a sudden weight, she knew he did the otherwise.

"Hot chocolate?" he offered, placing one mug on the coffee table and sliding it closer to her. "I suddenly had the craving to drink one and I thought you might like one, too; thus, two mugs."

The brunette looked at him in surprise, one eyebrow raised. "I thought you said that you expected me to be asleep now," she said.

He shrugged, nervously rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. "Well, I'm just making sure so I brought two," he said. He took a sip from his mug. When he looked at Hermione, he noticed the strange look she was giving him. "What?"

This time, both of her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "How _gentlemanly _of you to think of me, Malfoy," she said, her lips quirking up into a small smile. He merely glared. "For a guy who had been avoiding me for half of the day, you sure seemed… fine."

"Who said I'm avoiding you?" he growled. His cheeks slightly turned pink. "I was merely doing errands for the old nutcase. He's still Headmaster and I'm his minion. Ahem, _student_,I mean. I don't want to spend the rest of my Christmas break serving detention, you know."

She hummed in reply, still a bit skeptical, but dropped off the topic.

Hermione leaned closer to the coffee table and wrapped a hand around the steaming mug. She involuntarily released a sigh, happy with the warmth of her hot chocolate. She gratefully took a sip, almost scalding her tongue.

She took a peek at Malfoy at the corner of her eyes. He, too, was silently sipping his steaming drink. Both of his hands were wrapped around the mug and that was when she noticed that he was trying in vain to transfer its warmth to his body.

He was obviously cold.

A sudden idea occurred into her mind but she shook it off as soon as possible. Malfoy might probably kill her if she even suggested it. But he was… kind enough to bring up a mug of hot chocolate for her. It had warmed her more. The least she could do was to be kind to Malfoy and share her one source of warmth.

"You want to share my comforter?" she blurted out. His head snapped up into her direction, baffled. The brunette grew defensive. "What? You're obviously cold, Malfoy. Remember, we had a snowball war a while ago and I kept you out in the snowing weather a little too long than possible. I don't want you to blame me if you get sick."

He merely blinked for minutes and Hermione felt like an idiot. Just when she thought that he would laugh at her ridiculousness, he roughly grabbed one end of her green comforter and wrapped it around his shoulders. He left as much distance between them as he could, still making sure that both of their bodies were wrapped around the comforter. The brunette was thankful it was big enough for two people.

He had inhaled deeply, apparently comforted, as soon as he was sharing her comforter. But Hermione swore his eyes widened a bit and his breathing momentarily halted. She mentally counted almost sixty seconds before she heard him exhale once again.

Malfoy was a one, weird bloke.

The first few minutes were extremely awkward. There were occasional yes or no questions from one and a curt answer from the other before they reverted back into silence. They had no idea how their conversation turned from awkward and short to casual and actually funny. It just did. It seemed like that the two kisses they shared within a span of two days were completely forgotten.

They shared about random anecdotes in their lives; things that were pretty useless to hear but amusing nonetheless.

They had talked for hours now. The two didn't really know since they were busy conversing with others.

"How's" – Hermione released a really, wide yawn – "your mother?"

He looked fairly surprised with her question. "Why do you ask, nuisance?" he asked, a frown on his face.

She gave him a shrug whilst rubbing her itching eye. She was seriously tired now. "Just curious," she murmured. "You're not obliged to answer if you don't like."

The frown never left his face. "Well, it's not exactly a hard question," he stated. He shifted slightly on the couch, unconsciously moving a little closer to her. "My mother's… doing well. Not really that good, but she's fighting. One tough woman she is, I'm telling you."

'_Lies,' _his mind hissed. _'Lies, Draco Malfoy. All lies.' _

"What do the Healers say?" she continued, eyes closing up for a little bit. She shook her head to stay awake. "The last time I think you visited your mother, you came back… exhausted."

Draco bristled on his seat. "I don't actually know why you're asking me that, Granger," he said through gritted teeth. But then, he told himself that she was merely asking; she didn't mean any harm at all. And so, he forced himself to calm down. He had no idea what came into him but he suddenly had the urge to tell another soul what he truly felt. He was tired, after all. Of lying.

"Not exactly the most delightful topic for me, but fine, I'll answer you. My mother is not doing fine, goddamnit. She's still lying on that hospital bed, her _death _bed. The Healers reckon that she won't make it. They even asked me if I still want to continue her medications. She's slowly deteriorating away and I… I can't do anything ab - ."

His words died on his lips as soon as he felt her head land gently on his shoulder. Eyes widening, he looked at the mass of brunette curls splattered around his shoulder and noted that Granger had fallen asleep. _'The nerve…' _he growled inside, his head involuntarily shaking. _'Seriously. And here I am, about to tell her personal things about me.' ' _

Her chest was slowly rising and falling with her deep breathing. Draco also noticed that the few meters he left in between them were now reduced to centimeters; Merlin, _millimeters_ even. The brunette had snuggled closer to him. Apparently, his body warmth was giving her more comfort.

A contented sigh escaped from her lips. That sound was enough to remove the annoyance in his system. It meant that he was making her comfortable. Goodness, she had no idea how much he wanted to make her the happiest woman alive ever since.

And so, he did not have the heart to wake her up anymore. He was a selfish bastard and watching her sleep, oblivious to the emotions resurfacing in his eyes, was like Christmas _everyday_. He honestly wanted to stop time now, despite how sappy it sounded. One of his most irrational wishes when he was still eleven-years-old was that one day, everybody would just drop dead, except for him and Hermione. She wouldn't have any choice but to stick with him through and through for a lifetime. Maybe he could include his mother, just as long as she would accept that her son was, _is_, in love with Hermione Granger.

Such thoughts were a bit overwhelming for Draco; he was afraid that the longer he continued to watch her sleep, the greater the urge of kissing her would be. Therefore, he gently shook her shoulder awake. "Nuisance," he whispered, "wake up and go back to our room. Wake up."

She slowly opened her eyes, still glazed with sleep. Hermione had blinked them exactly three times before groggily turning her head to look at him.

"Oh," she softly gasped, realizing that she used his shoulder for a pillow. "I'm sorry." She lifted her head, embarrassed. "I fell asleep, yeah? I'm just so… tired."

He merely shrugged and watched her stand up.

"I'm going to go back to our room," she murmured, rubbing her eye.

Draco made a move to remove her comforter around his shoulders but she stopped him. "No, no, you use that for today," she said. "I'm assuming our room will be warmer than the common room. And besides, I have this inkling feeling that you won't sleep soon so…"

An uncertain smile appeared on her face, waiting for him to roll his eyes and return it to her, disgusted. But once again, he only shrugged. Her uncertain smile turned into a sincere one. "Good night, Malfoy," she said, then swiveled around and trudged up to their room.

As soon as she was gone, he discreetly wrapped her comforter tighter around his shoulders. It smelled _so _much like her; it was intoxicating.

He inhaled and took a whiff of her perfume then gradually closed his eyes.

That night, he dreamt that Hermione Granger's arms were wrapped around him, not her comforter.

* * *

**Review Responses: **

**haileydelacour101: **Oh, honey, I do try my best to find time to do these fanfiction stuff XD And I know right! Teddy is such an adorable character it makes me wish that he's real so that I could hug him 'til NASA announces that Pluto's a planet again :p Hmm… interesting question you asked – is Teddy _really _swinging the other way? Or is Hermes really the only exception. Yup, I think despite his age, Teddy's still a kid by heart… as for Blaise and Luna? Hmm… a new pair for me, though XD Anyway, thanks for your review!

******jeena. tere. liye**: Sexual Tension XD Lol, I laughed so loud after reading that part. I do thought that the last scene, the one where they were discussing where to sleep and such, is so cute. A struggling Draco is so adorable *squee* And oh my! Putting a scene where Draco was being a naughty, naughty boy? Not exactly a bad idea… I'll think about it *wink* Yeah, come to think of it, it _is _sad that the other two will have their hearts broken. As for their happily ever after? Just wait for the future chapters. Anyway, thanks for your lovely review!

**Mi High Lover: **Aww, you got annoyed by review responses? Hmm… well, sometimes I do, too. It's very deceitful XD Makes me think that the chapters were longer than their actual length. But now that I'm giving you a review response, are you annoyed? XD Aww, and thank you for stating that it's an epic chapter and you couldn't resist to review. I'm really flattered. *blush* And an awesome writer? Wow, it's not everyday somebody tells me that. Anyway, thanks for sending in your comeback review :D (BY THE WAY, your avatar of little Tommy is so A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E; why change it?)

**fantasia-49: **Romantic, indeed! Well, curse Hermione for being too oblivious of Draco's feelings, huh? Thanks for your review!

**slytherin-pwincess-no1: **Aww, I know right! If I discover that a boy had loved me ever since we were eleven-years-old (I'm sixteen now, btw), then that would be so, SO sweet. Makes me feel like I'm worth it (GAH, my hopeless romantic side is resurfacing XD) Anyway, thanks for your lovely review!

**AcerGirl: **Truth be told, the last chapter was one of my favorite chapters, too :D So full of Dramione goodness it makes me want to turn into goo XD As for the phrase "his cheeks the envy of all tomatoes in Professor Sprout's greenhouses", I think it's funny, too. And it's all thanks to my English teacher for making me write a script full of literary devices (metaphors, similes, etc.) As for PiD, tell your sister I still have no idea when to update the said story. *covers her head* I'm sorry, I'm sorry. My writer's block for this story is so huge I don't know how to cure it anymore. ANYWAY, thanks for reviewing!

**Cinna16: **Epic, you say? LOL, I could imagine you typing your previous review with wide eyes and a humongous smile on your face XD Aww, my heart did break, too when I typed the chapter when Draco was being all mopey and brooding when he found out that Hermione Granger died. And thank you, your review made my day, too. Thanks for reviewing!

**CheshireCat23: **I think all Dramione alone times are awesome :D Oh, I think it was hilarious, too, when they walked back to Hogwarts after kissing each other accidentally. I could conjure their embarrassed selves in my mind and I can't help but laugh at them. Poor them. Anyway, thanks for your review.

**Aletto: **Actually, I wish I'm doing something besides surfing the net. Summer means doing nothing, and doing nothing slowly drives me insane XD But, oh well, at least I can do whatever I want. I also give you a billion 'you're welcome' for liking this chapter. I do try to do a job well done. Thanks for your review!

**LookingforNirvana: **Why the 'Aww, Draco"? Is it because he's hopelessly in love with Hermione and she doesn't know. Or basically because he was just being too adorable for you to handle. XD Haha, thanks for reviewing!

**Schnuersenkel: **It never occurred to me that the _sweet _kiss happened in a shop selling _sweets_. But, thanks for pointing it out. Now, the accidental kiss for me was more hilarious XD I know, I know. Making them kiss heatedly so suddenly is somehow uncalled for. I mean, they're just coming to terms that they're 'acquaintances' or 'friends', right? Despite Draco's 'forbidden' feelings, it's still weird :D Here's the new chapter, though. So, what did you think about it? Anyway, thanks for your review!

**beautifly92: **And thrilled you really are. I could imagine you being all giddy-giddy while typing your review :P Ooh, I did adore the last chapter, too. So much Dramione moments its making me sigh *Sigh* LOL, now that you've read this chapter, what do you think? Did it make you thrilled, too? Thanks for reviewing!

**B.S: **WOW, too much compliments. It's inflating my ego! Meh, it's all thanks to JK Rowling because without HP Series, I will not be introduced with Dramione, right? But I do plan to write a novel in the future (not now). Making original stories makes me feel uncomfortable still so I'd stick to writing fanfics for now. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Lost O'Fallon Girl: **Ooh, Darcy and Lizzie, huh? I adore "Pride and Prejudice", if you must know. And yeah, I agree. I think it's more of the "Pride" part. Both of them are too stubborn for their own good XD I try my very best to make them their usual selves, especially if Malfoy and Granger interact (you know, the bickering...) Um, as for your question _"Currently won't allow me to publish my new chapters, have you ever had this problem?"_, I'm still experiencing the same problem, for your information. You get this address when you receive the error, right? - fanfiction .net/story/story_edit_**property**.php?storyid=6431906/1/ - okay, change the bold one (property) to **content**, and voila, you can update your stories now! Anyway, thanks for your review.

**Karate Chic: **I'm sorry, but I didn't quite understand what you said XD (_In the perfect world that's how they act. Not the real one_) Oh, and thank you for liking this chapter :D I do try my best. As for your question of when Hermione will realize her crush, why not wait for my future updates to know *wink* *wink* Anyway, thanks for reviewing.

**Jenna Linda: **Brilliant chapter, huh? So, what did you think of this new chapter? :p And thank you, I try my best to make my work as good as possible (if not, the best XD) Anyway, thanks for your review.

**ellenloveforever: **I do hope for Christmas, too. It's bloody hot in here and I swear if I were a boy, I'd be topless now. But no, I'm a _girl_. Lucky dudes. Anyway, thank you for thinking last chapter was cute!

**Catuhh: ***cowers* I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It was necessary for me to kill off Draco in "11 Things". But I have this inkling feeling you loved it, nonetheless XD (conceited much?) I have this feeling you'll hate me, too, once I revealed the future chapters (my lips are sealed; I won't spoil you). Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**Fawzie: **I KNOW RIGHT? I've been waiting to post the chapter where Hermione's a girl and having an alone time with our gorgeous Draco Malfoy. Aww, Draco reminds you of Ron? You remind me of a part – OH – oops, no spoilers. And aww, I'm sorry, Hermione can't give gifts to her Gryffindor friends, except Harry, of course. I mean, wouldn't that be suspicious if they suddenly received a gift addressed from Hermes Austen? Anyway, thanks for your review!

**laugh-out-loud94: **AHAHAHAHA, Draco and his infamous raging hormones. BOYS, can't control their bloody selves. I did love Draco's contemplations, too! I try my best to keep him in character despite the fact that he was talking to himself (creepy much?) And thanks for your WICKEDLY AWESOME review :p

**S. H. ****Chevalier**: Well, here's the part II of their Christmas "Alone" time. How was it? Did it satisfy you? XD Aww, still makes me sad that the two remaining boys of the Silver Quartet will undergo the painful effects of rejection. Oh, anyway, thanks for your review!

**CrayolaBox16: **Thanks for thinking that this story is "awesome". I try my best to please my readers, if you must know. I hope you're still enjoying the story, so far. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Isabella120: **You are part British? OMG, that's so awesome. I always wanted to have a part like that in my blood. All I know is I'm part Spanish and Indian… weird combination but I turned out just fine; thus, I love it, anyway. Thank you for loving the whole chapter! Anyway, thanks for your review :D

**bbyebiebercozoftattoo: **You're loving these review responses, huh? XD I don't want to work tediously and answer all individually; hence, I just decided to post all of them in every chapter. So, I also assume that you loved the Dramione moments XD Ooh, feeling giddy-giddy? Did I make you feel giddy in this chapter? Haha, anyway, thanks for your review!

**flamingbunnies: **Typing the previous chapter also made me feel warm and cozy inside. Actually, anything Dramione related makes me feel warm and cozy inside *blush*. So here's the part II of their Christmas escapade? How was it? Did you like it? Haha, anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**azure: **Thank you :D I do try my best to always write not-so-mediocre works for the entertainment of my readers. Anyway, thank you for your review!

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to all those who reviewed! I appreciated your time and effort just so you could drop a review; hence, I offered my time and effort just so I could answer all of them, too. **

**ANYWAY, who else swooned after reading Part II of their Christmas escapade? *raises hands and shakes them wildly* Ay! Ay! OMG, I think I just turned into a puddle of cheese. Oh, Draco was such a darling. And Hermione! What a lucky, lucky girl. Too bad this was the end of their Christmas ALONE time. 'Neeway, at least Teddy and Blaise will be back next chapter. But I do warn you, the next few chapters will be more… action-packed? LOL, the Christmas chapters were somehow the calm before the storm so, yeah, you get what I mean. **

**As for my announcement, I have no idea when I will post the next chapter. I'll be going home to our province this coming Saturday and once again, I'm afraid there won't be some internet connections (*crosses fingers*) I hope there will be *sigh* I'll be back on the first week of May (GAH, so far). Can't believe my dad still hasn't upgraded the computer there. Oh whatever, just hope that there will be an internet connection in our province so that I could post the next chapter. **

**Well, that's it for now! I do hope you enjoyed this chapter (I thoroughly enjoyed writing it). Do review again and make me happy. **

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe :D**

**P.S.**

**Short Poll:  
****Draco and Hermione did a lot of things during their Christmas ALONE time. What was/were your favorite/s? Do tell me in your reviews :D**


	24. New Semester

**Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters :D**

**A/N: Hehe, surprised? I bet you looked at your calendars XD Yup, it's still a Saturday here (or a Friday, wherever you live) and I am UPDATING! Yeah, well, I wasn't really planning to. It's like a spur-of-the-moment. But since my awesome beta reader **_**OnErrantry **_**emailed me the edited version of this chapter. Goodness, if you just compared the original from the edited… you'd die laughing. Gads, I knew I lack this so-called Beta-Reading Powers! Hence, do thank **_**OnErrantry **_**for doing an awesome job. I think my grammar here is flawless!**

**Anyway, I shan't rant any longer. Leave a review! Please enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four: New Semester **

* * *

"HERMES!"

Theodore Nott's screams never ceased to amaze the people around him. Some blatantly stared at him, amusement on their faces. Others couldn't help but softly chuckle at his childish attitude. Some girls would sigh dreamily, secretly wishing that it was _their _name he was screaming.

But right now, two people were not exactly thrilled with him. Blaise looked slightly embarrassed to be flanking Teddy's side. He gave him a subtle glare, which Teddy never caught because he continued to be unfazed and excited.

Draco Malfoy, on the other hand, had a huge scowl on his face. Sure, he was used to Teddy's loudness. But it still irked him at times when Teddy was being too noisy for his liking. "Calm down, you bloody twerp. There's no need to shout at the top of your lungs."

Teddy brushed off his comment as soon as he was standing in front of his roommates. They had just returned from a week of break and he would be lying if he said that he barely missed Hogwarts. Or _him_, for that matter.

He had shoved his school trunk away, which landed with a resounding thud in the Great Hall. People closest to him cringed from the noise but Teddy did not even give a damn.

Because he was back in Hogwarts. And he was so happy he could actually dance the Macarena right there and then without a care for who in the whole world was watching.

Sure, Annie and Christmas had given him such joy a week ago. He hadn't seen Annie for a while, and seeing her so grown-up and lady-like already made his heart swell in pride. Soon she would be breaking so many blokes' hearts, he couldn't wait to watch their misery. Annie was one manipulative girl and she knew that. She used it to her full advantage, and unfortunately even her big brother was wrapped around her gorgeous finger.

And Christmas… oh Merlin, he had received so many gifts. It made him wish that Christmas would be celebrated every day. He had received numerous sweets for his growing pile and he made an effort to write back 'thank you' notes to those people who gave him the gifts he liked.

Both paled in comparison now that he was staring straight at his sole object of affection. He knew Annie wouldn't be exactly thrilled if she knew she wasn't currently the number one person in his heart. But Annie wasn't there, and he was allowed to feel things without being ordered around.

He took a sharp breath when Hermes flashed him the infamous smile that stopped his world and froze time. It was unnerving, knowing a _guy _did that to him. He used to think that only a _girl _would have the power to do that. His heart was so strange, making him fancy a person of the same sex. It was weird, yeah, but after months and months of spending time with Hermes Austen, he came to accept it. If he was to like any guy in the whole world, he sure would choose Hermes. _Hands down_.

"Hermes," he repeated once again, his voice sounding a bit breathless.

He did something that surprised both him and the brunette – he gave him a bone-crushing hug. "I had sorely _missed _you," he confessed, his hug around his roommate tightening. To hell with all of the spectators. He hadn't seen Hermes for ages and he deserved to have as much physical contact with him as possible.

What Hermes said made his heart soar bloody high in the clouds. "I missed you, too, Teddy," he said, laughing as he patted his back. "But it'll be nice if you allow me to breath properly, you know."

Embarrassed, Teddy pulled away from him and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry," he said, ruffling his hair. "I can't help myself."

Blaise sighed, reminding him that both he and Draco were still present. Noticing them made Teddy more embarrassed. "You have no idea how much he ranted about you in the train, Hermes," Blaise said. "Almost drove me mad."

The brunette chuckled and shook his head, his short hair slightly bouncing on his shoulders. He motioned for all of them to follow him back to the Slytherin common room. It was strangely cold in the Great Hall.

"That's good to know," he said as soon as they started walking. "Anyway, how was your Christmas?"

"Fine."

"Wicked."

Teddy saw Austen raise an eyebrow. "I see neither of you were too thrilled about being home," he pointed out.

"I had to attend to countless balls," Blaise exclaimed. "It's not exactly my idea of a cheerful holiday."

"Annie's being such an immature brat," Teddy butted in. Draco and Blaise simultaneously snorted but he ignored it. "I almost got into an accident because of her. But here I am, in one piece, and I'm so happy to be back." His eyes quickly landed on Draco before returning to Hermes. "How was _your _Christmas?"

A small smile appeared on Hermes' face and he discreetly glanced at Draco. Teddy was able to catch it. "It was… fine, I guess," he said. "Although a little… bizarre. I dunno."

Teddy accusingly looked at Draco and sputtered, "You did not take good care of him, did you?" To complete his accusation, he pointed a finger at the blond. "Didn't I tell you to take good care of him before we left, huh, Draco?"

His best friend merely rolled his eyes. "He's a big boy," he pointed out, "He doesn't need to be taken care of."

The childish Slytherin only replied with a glare. His blazing jealousy for his best friend mellowed when Draco gave him the best sweets of Honeydukes for his Christmas gift. Sure, he was immature, but he was still a decent bloke. A lot of people did not know that expensive gifts from Draco meant something, which was that you were important to him and worthy of his money.

* * *

Hermione and the others had arrived in the Slytherin common room now. She greeted some of her returning Housemates with a happy smile and cheerful hello. She still couldn't believe that a lot of them had remembered to give her a gift. Slytherins were really baffling.

Finally, they strolled inside their room. A frown touched her features when Draco locked the door and even cast a charm to soundproof their room.

"What's going on?" Blaise voiced what all three of them were thinking. Hermione saw at the corner of her eyes that he, too, was frowning.

"Sit down," Draco ordered, his face growing dark. Gone was the cool and collected blond. Instead, a worried one was blatantly staring at each and every one of them.

She reluctantly followed his order. Blaise sat down on his bed and Teddy was the last one to oblige.

"Is this something about what you included in your last letter?" the carefree Slytherin asked. "The one you said was extremely important?"

He nodded and sat down on his own bed. His arms instantly crossed against his chest as he looked from one of his roommates to the other. His eyes slightly lingered longer when they landed on Hermione. As soon as he looked away, he started to speak, "This isn't a good topic to talk about, seeing that the Christmas break just ended. But this is of extreme importance. So listen carefully, you understand?"

"I don't like your tone, Malfoy," Hermione cut in, her frown deepening. Blaise unconsciously nodded his head while Teddy said a soft 'yeah'.

Draco merely rolled his eyes. "Just listen," he snarled, growing annoyed. Hermione glared back but did not say anything back anymore. "Good. Now, the Dark Bastard had ordered me to tell you that the trainings for this new semester will be _frequent_. He has some new battle strategies, which I have no idea of. Except that Hermione Granger's parents" – he looked straight at the brunette herself – "are still unconscious in the headquarters. A few more months and the Secrets of the Order will be revealed. As soon as he has unlocked all their secrets, he will attack. The Death Eaters will attack. _We _will attack."

He paused to take a deep breath. "And so, expect that the trainings will also be… grueling. 'Complain or restrain', that'll be your motto. Complain if you want to be punished. Restrain yourself if you want to live. This is no joke, guys. There's no time for your petty needs. You can't act childish in front of Voldemort, for goodness' sake. Especially you, Theo. The next meeting, which will be the very first training day for the new recruits, will be this coming Saturday - "

"Already?" Blaise asked in disbelief. He looked at his other roommates and saw that they were surprised, too. He even swore that Hermione was paler than normal, even paler than Malfoy.

"Yes, Blaise, already," Draco confirmed, nodding his head. "So be ready. I'm not… I'm not telling you to expect the best, okay? Just ready yourselves and have the willpower to stay alive. There were Death Eaters in the past that went insane because of following that monster."

As soon as he finished his speech, the whole room was silent.

It was slightly deafening for Hermione. To ease her discomfort, she shuffled her feet against the cold floor. Her eyes were firmly glued on the floor when she finally decided to break the silence. "This is really it, right?" Her voice was eerily soft in the whole room. "The trainings… punishments… _pain_."

"Don't make it sound so bad, Austen," Draco shot back in a joking manner. When Hermione looked at him, he looked anything buthumorous.

Teddy snorted, a humorless chuckle following. "Yeah, don't make it sound so bad, Hermes," he snarled. "We're just starting our slow journey to our imminent _death_. No need to be so pessimistic."

'_Amazing,' _was the only word that came up into her mind as she stared at her roommates, _friends_, baffled. It was amazing how they could still joke around, albeit lamely, over something that was driving her a little more nuts every time she thought about it. It was probably their way to alleviate their terror. But for Hermione, it was more pathetic than showing real fear. They were trying in vain to conceal what they were truly feeling, and it was almost heartbreaking.

"When will this bloody thing end?" she moaned, covering her eyes with her face. "I want to go home." The last sentence that came out of her mouth was uttered in a soft, childish tone.

Images of her parents, of Harry, Ron, and Ginny, and of her other Gryffindor friends flashed before her eyes. She fervently wished that as soon as she opened her eyes, she would be staring back at them. But when she did open them, her three roommates were still staring back at her, their terror now mixed with worry.

"Do you…" Blaise croaked, voice cracking. He cleared his throat. "Do you want to go down to the kitchen and just drink something, anything, just for some distraction?"

The others did not answer for a full minute. It was Draco who broke the silence. "That'd be nice, I guess," he said. His eyes landed on Hermione before continuing, "Just make sure to keep the firewhiskey away from the nuisance's hands. He might puke all over _you_ this time, Zabini."

"HEY!" was her reply, her eyes turning into thin slits.

Teddy snorted once again in laughter. He immediately covered it as soon as he saw her glare turn toward him this time. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said. "It's just too funny to stay stoic. Oh Merlin, that day was so priceless. Just thinking about it still makes me laugh."

An unwanted smile suddenly flitted on her face. Their sudden change of topic was desperately needed. She bet that the other three were also glad that their conversation had steered off from their previous discussion.

"Fine, laugh all you want," she spat out with feigned annoyance. "I'll make sure to drink eight glasses of firewhiskey again and spew my guts out all over you this time, Teddy. Let's just see who's going to laugh then."

"Ooh," Blaise said, followed by a low whistle. "Now, that's something I cannot miss for the world."

She finally laughed at Teddy's facial expression. How could she not, when he was looking so adorably scared now? "Let's just go, okay?" she said. "It's almost curfew and I think it's best if we did not all get detention on the first day of the new semester."

The other three followed her out, with Teddy trying in vain to hide behind Draco.

As they walked along the almost empty corridors, talking about mindless things, Hermione couldn't help but think that this new semester would be a _long _one.

She just hoped for the best.

* * *

Cold. Stuffy. Suffocating. _Terrifying_.

Those were the adjectives that ran through Hermione's mind as sweat trickled down from her forehead. With her wand hand, she wiped away the forming perspiration before it distracted her further.

Once again, they were in the dungeons in the Malfoy Manor. It was probably their third training day since the start of the new semester, but Hermione wasn't sure.

The training days were dreadful for Hermione. They were brought into a room somewhere in the dungeons. The first time she walked inside, her nose scrunched up in disgust. The whole room was reeking with residual magic from the Unforgivables; it was sickening. Hermione had to stop herself from retching. At the corner of her eyes, she could see that even Teddy and Blaise were trying in vain to mask their disgust.

The first day of their training, she had thought that they would use punished Death Eaters as their beginning practice dummies. So she was fairly surprised to see poor, caged rats scampering in fright.

"Easiest to hardest,"Draco had explained matter-of-factly, answering her silent question.

'_Malfoy,' _she thought, a dull pang shooting through her heart. Her eyes wandered around the room and saw his unmistakable blond hair. His face was screwed up in deep concentration, and perspiration was gathering on his forehead. His mercurial eyes were darker with determination and his lips were pressed tightly into a line. He still looked pretty much the same, though, except for the fading bruise on his jaw.

The first day of their training, an enraged Lucius Malfoy had dragged Draco out of the room to have a 'talk' with his son. Blaise, Teddy, and she shared a look of worry and just distracted themselves by practicing on the rats. Both Blaise and Teddy were exceptional that day. They were able to properly produce the Imperius Curse. Although she was not entirely used to using the Dark Arts, Hermione was also reasonably good that day. She was able to make a rat bleed and slowly die. It still gave her the creeps every time she remembered the frightened squeals of the dying rat.

After their training, Draco emerged from the other room. He was wearing his Death Eater mask as he ushered the students out of Malfoy Manor and back to their school.

Later that night, when Draco removed his mask, they discovered it. It was Teddy who first saw it. Blaise and Hermione were busy conversing with each other about the outcome of their first training day. They were disturbed by the carefree Slytherin, who dropped his wand on the floor with a clatter.

"Merlin," was his breathless exclamation, and when she turned to look at Draco, her stomach twisted into a knot.

There, on his jaw, was an angry purplish bruise shaped uncannily like a _fist_. It was sickening to look at. Hermione guessed it was worse than the bruise she had given him in their third year.

"Father was not pleased with my excuse for spending Christmas in Hogwarts," he said with his infamous Malfoy smirk. "Let's just say he was too angry to use a spell on me."

She had merely stared at him that day, awe-struck, because he was able to be so arrogant and lofty even though an angry bruise was forming on his jaw.

Despite the not-so-pleasant trainings they had, Hermione actually made progress in her task. Break times were very advantageous for the brunette. She could just slip away, make up some excuse like having to answer nature's call or something, and then she could venture all over the manor.

Since she was able to observe the whole structure, she discovered a few ostentatious decorations. They had antiques, which Hermione predicted were more expensive than her whole house. They even had intricate and ancient moving paintings, by famous painters.

Its extravagance was overwhelming. But Hermione willed herself to focus on her current task: find the room where her parents were hidden.

She did find it on the second day of their training. It was not that hard, since the topic of her parents' captivity was rampant all through the Death Eaters.

She discovered that they were currently residing in a room somewhere in the West Wing. She was able to locate it, hidden at the farthest corner of the Wing, hidden behind an innocent bookshelf. She was tempted to enter right there and then, but she knew it was guarded with extremely complicated spells.

'_And besides,' _she added in her mind, a wry smile on her face, _'they only allow __**females **__to enter the room.' _

Hermione had no idea how such an arrangement occurred. All she knew was that there was one incident with one unidentified male Death Eater being assigned to that room that almost lead to the loss of their sole hope for destroying Harry Potter. After that, an enraged Voldemort ordered that only female members of their group are allowed to visit and tend to her parents.

"… dismissed."

Her mind returned to the present once the assigned Senior Death Eater announced the end of their training. She blinked her eyes thrice to shake off her task from her head and approached her roommates with Teddy eagerly beckoning her over.

* * *

"I've got some good news, Professor," Hermione announced, a huge smile on her face, as she strode inside the Headmaster's Office. She halted in her steps upon seeing Harry Potter standing beside Dumbledore's chair, arms crossed and lips curled into a frown. "Harry! I didn't… expect you here."

"I'm offended, 'Mione," he bitterly mumbled. "I haven't talked to you for ages, and now that you have some _good news_, you forgot me and asked for Dumbledore instead."

The old man seated on the chair chuckled in amusement.

Hermione, unable to help it, also laughed and shook her head. "All right, all right, I'm sorry, Harry," she said, beckoning him over for a hug. His upset demeanor completely vanished, replaced by unadulterated happiness as he enveloped her in a big hug. "It won't happen again. I promise."

"Now, now, children," the Headmaster spoke up, reminding them of his presence. Harry automatically broke free from Hermione's hug and also looked at their teacher. "Let us get down to the real purpose of this meeting, shall we?"

The two teenagers shared a secret smile and sat down on their respective places.

"All right," Dumbledore continued when both were comfortably settled on their seats. The old professor placed his chin on top of his hands and directed his gaze at Hermione. "Miss Granger, if you please, you can start now."

A huge, beaming smile lightened Hermione's features. "Gentlemen," she started. Harry released a comical snort, which he then covered up with a cough. "I have finally located the room where my parents are."

A gasp escaped from Harry's lips whilst Dumbledore's eyes merely twinkled.

"Blimey, Hermione. That's… brilliant!" Harry exclaimed. Hermione's eyes turned from Dumbledore to Harry. "I mean, that's _some_ progress."

"Ah," the Headmaster said, "that is good news, indeed, Miss Granger. Good news indeed!"

"They're located in a secluded area in the West Wing of Malfoy Manor," Hermione continued, her eyes settling back on the old wizard. "Their room is also guarded with multiple, complex spells, which isn't surprising, seeing that they are the only hope for the downfall of The-Boy-Who-Lived. However, I have the feeling that after some research and practice, I will be able to successfully break each and every one of them. Actually, I have a complete list of the spells used to guard their door." She paused to take a huge breath. "Also, Voldemort has surprisingly allowed only females to enter the room. There are Death Eaters guarding the outside, of course, but only female members of their league are allowed to enter."

As soon as she finished her report, Harry released a low whistle. "Wow, that's some news," he said. "Merlin, how could you discover things like that while being inconspicuous?"

A proud smirk, almost Malfoy-like, flitted across Hermione's face. "That, my friend, is for me to know and you to find out," she said, reaching out to pat his hand. "We both know for a fact that of you and me, one of us cannot be subtle to save his own life."

An ashamed blush rose up into his cheeks and he glared. "Har har, I'm laughing so hard," he monotonously said.

Hermione laughed, patted his cheek affectionately, and then turned her gaze back to the Headmaster. Dumbledore, she noticed, was looking at them with warmth in his eyes. That only made her smile bigger. "What should I do next, Professor?" she asked. "I know the facts, although not entirely the details. But, what should I do next?"

His eyebrow arched up slightly as he shifted on his seat. Harry, who found her question interesting, was also looking at the Headmaster with anticipation in his eyes. "For now," he started, "just… rest, I believe."

The smile on her face completely disappeared. "_Rest_?" she repeated with emphasis. "Rest… sir?"

A small smile appeared on Dumbledore's face. "Well, Miss Granger, you've been awfully busy these past few weeks. I know for a fact that your Death Eater meeting just last Saturday was your fourth; Mister Malfoy told me…"

'_So, it was our fourth, huh?' _she thought. _'Not our third.'_

Her mind snapped back into the present as Dumbledore continued. "You've been working a bit too hard, my dear student. And I understand your reason. Just, don't overreach yourself, _please_. You can't be reckless now, Miss Granger. Don't do anything, and I do mean anything, without a thorough plan. Just one mistake can have drastic results, Miss Granger. Trust me."

Her eyebrows were firmly knitted together as soon as he finished his small talk.

She could not believe him. Hermione Granger, for Merlin's sake, could not believe Albus Dumbledore. She had expected him to give her more advice onto how to save her parents and such. She did not expect him to just tell her to stop whatever she was doing and rest. Hermione Granger never rested, that was a known fact all over the school! She hated resting, especially if it meant setting her studies aside. She had long discovered that studying was extremely important, especially if she was aiming to graduate as the valedictorian of her batch.

And now that she was aiming to save her parents, far more important than being a valedictorian, she couldn't rest. She had to do everything, _quick_, before it was too late and everything she had worked hard for approximately five months to achieve would be wasted.

"I can't rest, Professor, you know that. I have to bloody save my parents. Rest? What rest?" She cringed, realizing that she had sounded a little bit harsh back there. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them once again, her eyes connected with Dumbledore's worried electric blue ones.

"I hate to say this, but I quite agree with Professor Dumbledore, Hermione," Harry butted in, reminding them of his presence.

Scandalized, Hermione's head whipped around and her gaze landed on Harry. "Not you too!" she exclaimed.

The-Boy-Who-Lived rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, Hermione, you're working too hard," he shot back. "You need some rest. I want you to be ablte to turn back into being Hermione Granger, in one piece."

She sneered.

"Hermione," he implored, standing up from his seat and kneeling in front of the brunette. He clutched both of her hands and pleaded for her to stare straight back into his eyes. "Listen… no, look at me. Stop overworking yourself. That has always been your weakness – being too immersed in something until you fulfill your goal. _Relax_. For goodness' sake, rest. You've done wonderfully these past few months, Hermione. Look, you've even discovered where your parents are already. So take a little break… a week perhaps? Don't research on the countercurses and such yet, okay?"

The disguised brunette pulled her hands away from Harry and stood up, eyes narrowed into a dark glare. "Rest?" she squeaked, enraged beyond comprehension. "How can you ask me to do such a… _blasted _thing when my parents are slowly _dying_?" Unbeknownst to her, tears started to gather at the corners of her eyes. "I have to save them. Goddammit, if I could, I would have done it now!"

Dumbledore was still calm and composed when he directed his eyes at his distraught student. "This is what I've been afraid of since the beginning, Miss Granger," he said, his voice sounding grave despite his unchanging expression. "Your emotions are clouding your practicality. This is a very _dangerous _task and you can't afford to be reckless… _Hermione_. You can't."

She was heaving huge breaths as she glared at the ground. Dumbledore was right. _'He's right,' _she thought forlornly, tears now dripping down her face and plopping noiselessly on the stone. _'He's damn right.' _

But she did not want him to know that she thought he was right. And so, she only did the thing she could think of right then – she turned around and fled the room.

* * *

"I knew you would be here."

A gasp of surprise escaped from Hermione as her head shot up and met the eyes of Draco Malfoy.

She was in her usual place in the library, somewhere secluded, and had been crying her eyes out for minutes (or maybe even hours) already.

She had missed dinner, she reckoned. She did not really mind, though. After her meeting with Dumbledore and Harry in the Headmaster's Office, she did not have the appetite for a full meal.

The brunette had been wallowing in her corner, realizing that she had been a complete bitch in the meeting with the other two. Goodness! She had no idea why she grew emotional. She hated crying, and to cry like a petulant child in front of her best friend and her teacher was too embarrassing for her.

"Malfoy," she wheezed out, able to talk despite her raw voice.

"Austen," he greeted back, wordlessly inviting himself to sit on her table. A strange look was settled on his face as he stared squarely at her tearstained face. "What a bloody nuisance you are, you know that?"

Despite her tears, she glared. "I don't give a bloody damn about what you say right now, Malfoy," she spat back. "I'm too distressed. I don't need your annoying words to put me down further."

He merely cocked an eyebrow, his trademark smirk settling on his face. "Being melodramatic now, aren't you?" he asked, followed by a small, humorous laugh.

She sneered. "Why the hell are you even here?" she asked hoarsely. "Leave me alone, Malfoy."

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "For your information, Blaise and Theo are going ballistic in the Great Hall," he started. "Those two have been looking all over the school for you. They've been here in the library numerous times already but they still couldn't find you."

Well, that was a lie back there. Draco had been the one growing worried, if not ballistic, ever since Hermione Granger never showed her face for dinner. Millions of imaginative things ran into his mind and he grew more and more panicked as the minutes ticked by. Blaise reckoned that she was merely doing an assignment somewhere in the school. Teddy, _surprisingly_, calmly shoveled all of his food down his throat before agreeing with the Italian.

'_Bloody bastards,' _he had muttered darkly under his breath as he looked for the brunette.

But she didn't need to know that, really.

"I just wanted to be alone," she said, pouting. His head snapped back to her to rid his mind of rubbish. "I didn't know they'd be worried." A suspicious glare appeared on her face. "By the way, how did you find this corner? Not even Harry and Ron knew about this place in the library…"

Her voice faltered when a dark blush appeared on his face. "Never mind that, Granger" – she hissed threateningly at that – "_Anyway_, now that I've seen you, will you be gracious enough to lift that damnable arse of yours and accompany me back to the Great Hall? End my misery; Blaise and Theo, oh especially Nott, are extremely embarrassing. By now, you should have known that, nuisance."

An exhausted sigh escaped from her lips. She crossed her arms on the table and buried her head in them, hiding her face away. "Just tell them I'm busy or something," she murmured under her breath. "Tell them I'm finishing a Potions essay somewhere. I guess they'll understand."

He was looking at her strangely. "What… exactly happened?" he carefully asked. He shook his head to get rid of Merlin-knows-what and the next thing Hermione knew, his face was a perfect mask of indifference.

Up until now, she could never fathom why she was spilling her emotions out in front of, _of all people_, Draco Malfoy. Just looking at him, the epitome of indifference, just… ticked something off in Hermione. It had been months now, she supposed. But in those months, she had become able to truly know him, _trust _him for goodness' sake! The blond never knew that she could actually see cracks on his metaphorical mask, as much as he wanted to keep his emotions to himself.

And there was something about those cracks, something that compelled her to tell him what she was truly feeling.

**Bugger**.

A sigh escaped from her lips and before she knew it, she was telling him truthfully about what she was feeling. She told him about her progress in her mission. She told him about how ecstatic Dumbledore and Harry were upon hearing the good news. She told him about Dumbledore's absurd request; for her to rest. She told him about her anxieties, fears… _exhaustion_. Everything just flowed out of her mouth.

As soon as she stopped talking, she was surprised to find that she was panting. Her chest was heaving up and down quickly, her lungs greedily gulping oxygen. What surprised her more was that her roommate merely sat there, pensive and silent… She stared at him expectantly, although she couldn't predict what to expect from him.

And then, a large smirk graced his features.

She blinked.

"That was so… _typical _of you, Austen," he said, the smirk still on his face. He released a sigh and leaned slightly forward, his face nearer hers. "Being so adamant on finishing a task without resting at all. Although I cannot believe you would be so emotional over something quite reasonable that came from, of all people, the nutcase."

Her jaw dropped, affronted. "I… I- what are you trying to imply, Malfoy?" she asked slightly harshly.

He rolled his eyes, his smirk disappearing from his face. A small smile, which greatly surprised Hermione, replaced it. "Nuisance, Potter and Dumbledore are right. You need to rest." She opened her mouth to retort with something, but he did not give her the chance. "Have you seen yourself lately? As in, your reflection? Merlin, you're a bloody mess. Our recent training sessions are not doing you any good."

Now that he mentioned it, she suddenly became aware of herself. Her eyes landed on the nearby windowpane and she truly saw. There were dark bags under her eyes, huge and prominent because of lack of sleep. Her cheekbones seemed prominent than the last time she had checked, due to how often she'd been skipping meals in order to research more in the library. Her lips were slightly paler than usual. Scowling, she looked away. Indeed, she was a bloody mess.

"Rest," he urged, continuing. "I mean… just look at you! You cry over the most _trivial _things, Austen. And you were never like that."

Her eyes narrowed at him. An emotion – betrayal – bubbled at the pit of her stomach. She honestly thought that he would contradict Harry and the Headmaster's wish. Merlin, he was actually _agreeing _with them!

Once again, Draco rolled his eyes. "Oh, stop being so stubborn," he spat. "I've seen you in the trainings, Austen, and you are doing _brilliantly_. You've progressed in your task; congratulations. But if you overwork yourself, I wouldn't be surprised if one day you just faint right there and then because of fatigue."

The remnants of her tears at the corners of her eyes chose that moment to roll down and she looked away, discreetly brushing them off.

'_This is stupid,' _she thought. _'Stop crying in front of Malfoy, Hermione.' _

"Look," he continued. Was that exhaustion and desperation she detected in his voice? "This is of extreme importance, I know. Trust me, I really do. Just like you, there were times when I really felt like the Healers working on my mother were not doing their very best to find a cure for her, while I, her son, would pour his energy into the library to research more about that damnable curse inflicted upon her."

Her eyes snapped back into him. So, _that _was why he was spending an awful lot of time in the library a year before. Even now.

"But I realized I'm being too hard on myself," he said. A small smirk appeared on his face. "With the help of Blaise and Theo's constant nagging, of course. And I just thought that… overworking myself gives me a bigger possibility of failing my task – finding my mother's cure."

"So, for goodness' sake, Austen, rest," he continued. "Time is precious, but it won't hurt to take a break. Just rest for like three days… a week even." Something flashed in his eyes. "There are people who are worried about you, you know."

Something… foreign seemed to show in Draco's eyes. But before she could delve further into them, he looked away.

Unspoken minutes passed by. Draco chose that moment to stand up, his guarded eyes now trained intently on Hermione.

"Remember what I told you, nuisance," he said. The smile, the one that had captivated Hermione eons ago, appeared on his face. "I know how you tend to be reckless over dangerous things. Continue being reckless and maybe you won't be able to save your parents at all."

With that, he turned around and took his time to walk out of the library, not even giving Hermione a spare glance.

Once he was out of the library, her fingers gripped her hair and she stared unfocusedly at the wooden table.

Draco Malfoy should never, _ever_, discover that on that day, he had finally knocked some sense into Hermione Granger.

* * *

**A/N: Eep, Teddy and Blaise are back XD I know that most of you missed them (I did). Aww, and what's with Hermione's melodrama *rolls eyes* Listen to Draco, for goodness' sake! He's right; you never cried on the most trivial things! But seriously, excuse Hermione's OCness… I think her mission's already taking its toll on her. And besides, I think she has the right to blow up if people think she must rest when two of the most important people in her life are slowly dying. You get what I mean? **

***Sigh* Draco's such a sweetheart in this chapter (albeit a snarky one). How come you know that place in the library when Harry and Ron do not? XD So adorable. **

**Anyway, another reason why I updated earlier is because I'd be going to the province today and I have this inkling feeling I will not have the means to put up the next chapter. It's making me sad, really. I'll miss you all. But have no fear, as soon as I come back, I'll be updating, whether it's Thursday or not XD Oh, and I might come back with a new story to make. I mean, I formulated "11 Things" and "Only a Pretense" while I was vacationing in my province… so, you get what I mean? **

**I must end my author's note here. Once again, I'll miss all of you *sob* *sob* **

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe**


	25. Almost Close

**Disclaimer: After a month of vacation, I'm still WickedlyAwesomeMe. :)**

* * *

**A/N: OH MY GOOD MERLIN, I AM BACK. *calms down* **_**Ahem**_**, once again, I'm back XD God, I missed the internet and everything, but most of all, I missed "Only a Pretense". I am so sure some of you are waiting for my update huh? Huh? **

**Anyway, I'll keep this short. I know that some might have skipped this because they're DYING to know what would happen next. **

**So, because I've missed all of you, I'm wishing you'd enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Almost Close**

* * *

Ancient Runes had ended wonderfully that day. Professor Flaxworth had given the class the project for the whole semester and to put it simply, Hermione was undoubtedly bubbling with excitement. They were to translate a series of almost-unreadable symbols and make a two and half feet-long of report about the translated runes. She was paired off with a seventh year Ravenclaw named Flavius Farrow and she actually didn't mind; she had worked with him numerous times before and she was confident that with his help, they would ace this project.

She just came out from the classroom and was instantly flanked by Teddy, Blaise, and Draco by her side. They had truly been inseparable for the past few days. Harry had reckoned, too (complete with a jealous pout on his face).

A smile flitted on her face as she looked up at Teddy, laughing boisterously over something that Blaise had said.

Hermione thought they seemed to be coping so well despite the continuing trainings they had under Voldemort. Teddy had been laughing so easily now; the jokes he fluidly cracked were absolutely hilarious, hands down. Blaise was charming as ever. There was always this certain… charming glint in his eyes every time he smiled at the people he passed by.

And Draco… her smile grew larger. He seemed to be the one who was coping the best of all. Gone was the Draco Malfoy she had seen on the first day of the school-year. Gone was the cranky, brooding blond who would always hide in dark corners and tried desperately hard to blend with the shadows. Gone were the dark circles under his eyes and his cheeks seemed less shallow than before.

In fact, he looked… positively radiant.

She did not really know. She could sometimes see her roommate from afar and the previous Draco Malfoy would resurface. But once he was hanging-out with his roommates, he would totally transform before her eyes.

It was downright suspicious for Hermione. After all, he should be the most stressed one among the four of them. But he seemed to be flashing _that _smile for almost everyday already. Teddy had even lightly commented about it (though, it completely wiped off that smile from his face).

"Hermes?"

The brunette blinked and met the worried eyes of Teddy.

"You okay?" he asked. A small smile appeared on his face. "You zoned out for a bit, you know." A chuckle then followed. "Come on, we're here. The food is not waiting for anyone!"

Hermione smiled back and was surprised when Blaise slightly touched her arm and led her towards the table. She ended up sitting beside Blaise, with Draco sitting across from her and Teddy beside him.

Her right eyebrow arched up slightly. Both Draco and Teddy seemed… displeased with their current sitting arrangement.

'_But why?' _she asked, frowning as she nonchalantly ran a hand through her hair. She brushed it off and started to gather food on her plate.

Come to think of it, even Blaise and Teddy were starting to act a tad… weirder around her than before. They seemed to be _extra _mindful of her ever since the new semester arrived… ever since the Death Eater trainings started. There were small favors that they surprisingly did for her. They were greatly appreciated, of course, but then again, they were astonishing.

And somehow, it was easy for the both of them to glare nowadays. Just look at Teddy, who was currently glaring at a subtly triumphant Blaise.

'_Wow,' _she thought, chuckling under her breath in amusement. Just a while ago, she reckoned that they were being cheerful, despite the grueling Death Eater meetings. But then, their mood would shift drastically over something petty she could not even understand.

'_Men are so mind-boggling,' _she stated matter-of-factly inside her mind. She couldn't wait to change back into a girl once again and mingle with her own kind.

"Remember," Draco suddenly uttered, breaking her off from her random thoughts. "Tonight."

Her blood ran cold. "Oh right," she thoughtfully said aloud. "Tonight. I've totally forgotten."

"Me too," Teddy helpfully offered, assuring her. "Wow, it's Saturday already? Time passes by really quickly."

"Do you think" – she visibly gulped – "we'll still be using" – she leaned closer to avoid eavesdroppers – "rats?"

At the corner of her eyes, she saw all the color from Blaise's cheek vanish. "It's been… what? The fifth or sixth training day already?" she whispered softly but enough for the other three to hear. "Will they force us to use… humans now for our practice dummies?"

Teddy seemed to perfectly grasp what she was trying to say, because right there and then, he paled. Draco was the only one who seemed unaffected with her apprehensive question, although his jaw clenched tighter.

"I doubt that, nuisance," the blond said after a few seconds of thinking. He rolled his eyes and focused his attention to his dinner. "It's too… early."

"You think so?" she asked, followed by a humorless laugh. Blaise and Teddy seemed to flinch with the bothersome sound she was emitting. "Don't you feel it? The Second War… it's looming, Malfoy. They're running out of time."

_I'm running out of time._

His eyes lifted up from his plate and he stared directly at her eyes. The brunette almost gasped back because of the great intensity of his stare. By the way that he was looking at her, he seemed to understand her unspoken cry.

"The… you-know-whats of You-Know-Who still need a lot of trainings, Austen," Draco calmly stated, averting his eyes to look at Teddy and Blaise. "He cannot afford to have _reckless _followers now, eh? Recklessness only paves way to a greater possibility of _failure_."

She cringed. There he was again, hitting almost every nerve in her body. Ever since their talk in the library, Draco seemed more adamant as more days passed by for her to be careful and follow Dumbledore and Harry's order – _rest_.

And rest, she did. Although it made her more apprehensive, she managed to set aside everything that had to do with her parents and their rescue for a while. She resisted the temptation of researching for the countercurses of the hexes and jinxes warding her parent's room for a whole week. She even resisted the temptation of going to her grave for a visit; just seeing it fueled her determination to save her parents.

But she had to rest.

Soon, the week had passed and she was eternally grateful for that. She had poured her whole self in the library as soon as the Sunday of the new week arrived. She had neglected Teddy's persistent pleas for her to join them in a fun game of Quidditch that day. She had neglected Blaise's offer of help. It would be appreciated, but then, she did not want Blaise getting suspicious as she researched about the countercurses.

Draco had confronted her once again about her recklessness but she brushed them off. Fine, she admitted that he had knocked off some sense in her, but now that a new week arrived, she would not listen to him anymore.

She was planning on visiting her parents' room that Saturday. _Tonight_. Oh no, she was not planning to save them just yet. She merely wanted to see if the countercurses she had gained from the library were all effective.

And Malfoy should not know about that.

Teddy's whistle had broken her trail of thought. "Intense much?" he asked, trying to lighten up the tensioned ambiance. Draco openly rolled his eyes at his weak attempt, yet Teddy was unfazed. "Can we change the subject? Talking about… those kinds of things loses my appetite."

Nobody interjected his request.

* * *

"Where are you going?" Blaise asked, as soon as the Head of the Death Eaters announced a little break from their training.

Hermione was ready to bolt out of the door to carry-out her plan, but then, Blaise emerged and blocked her off her exit.

"Nowhere, Blaise, just the loo," she calmly said, although her heart was pounding loudly in her ribcage. She swore that if the people inside the room were quiet, her heartbeat would be heard all over the place. "Nature's calling, you know. I cannot hold it in anymore."

He frowned, marring his handsome face. "Draco perfectly told me to accompany you wherever you go tonight," he said, scratching the back of his head. "Even though he did not give the reason why."

Ah, _Malfoy_. He was far too perceptive and cunning for her own liking. She suspected that he was suspecting her; she suspected that he anticipated that on the fifth day of their training as Death Eaters, she would at least do something about her progression in her task.

Looking around, she was relieved that Draco was nowhere to be found. She remembered that the senior Death Eaters had an impromptu meeting with Voldemort. Draco was considered as one now, considering the fact that he had been a Death Eater for almost two years already.

"Malfoy's being too paranoid, Blaise," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Tell him that no monsters will grab me from behind and eat me whole."

To her surprise, a charming smile appeared on Blaise's face.

"What?" she asked, frowning.

"You know," he started, "you've said exactly the same thing to me ages ago. Don't you remember?"

Hermione blinked, racking her brain for any remembrance. "Oh," she said, chuckling as she remembered. "Right." She had uttered the same words on the day of Draco's confrontation. "That seemed ages ago, Blaise."

"I know," the Italian said.

'_Perfect,' _she thought, the smile on her face turning mischievous. _'He seemed distracted now.' _

"Uh… I'll get going, then," she said, sidestepping Blaise. "To the loo. Where no icky monsters lurk."

How ironic since she was currently standing in a room full of Death Eaters. Blaise seemed to realize it, too, because his smile went back on his face.

"Just make haste," he said. "Draco's going to have my head if he discovered I let you leave out of my sight."

She gave him the most innocent smile she could muster. "Of course, Blaise."

With that, she completely stepped away from him.

"Hermes?"

She halted in her steps, and swiveled around, a frown on her face. "What is it, Blaise?" she asked.

"Be careful," he softly stated for her to only hear. It was merely a whispered warning, but it spoke volumes of what Blaise was truly feeling.

Hermione blinked, surprised at the sincerity of his words, and smiled. Blaise was truly kind and she was happy to have a friend like him. "I will," she said. She gave him another smile and waited for him to return it with his own before turning around and continuing her small journey.

* * *

Her eyes were trained intently on her hand-drawn map, pointedly ignoring the sneers and side comments from the portrait of the Malfoy family.

As soon as she stepped on this corridor, her eyes grew large at the huge and ostentatious portraits of the Malfoy clan, dating back from the fourteenth century. Some seemed fairly normal, others were downright frightening. But all of them had the same similarities: blond hairs and the distinct Malfoy grace. They were there, from the very first painting up to the very last.

The very last had caught her attention.

Draco Malfoy.

His portrait had completely diverted her attention away from her current task.

Unlike the other portraits in the corridor, his painting was not moving because of magic. Even Lucius'. She believed it was probably because they were still alive and roaming on Earth. She guessed that once they died, their portraits would magically come to life.

'_Interesting magic,' _she thought, gazing pensively on Draco's portrait.

Like any Malfoys she had seen, he was bearing the infamous blond hair. She actually expected him to have the trademark Malfoy smirk on his face but no, it was not there at all. She was surprised to see that he was sporting his infamous _Draco smile_. Ever since Christmas, she had dubbed that facial expression of his as such.

She reckoned his painting was made when he was fifteen, still free from the Dark Mark on his left arm. He actually looked… happy on the painting. The painter, which was an unnamed person, was able to fully capture everything on the blond. The way he parted his hair, the way his hands always seemed to come together when he was not doing anything, the way his small dimple enhanced his good looks, the way his mercurial orbs seem to sparkle with unknown emotions…

Blushing, she looked away. She could not believe that she knew those small things about Draco Malfoy. Self-conscious, she tucked a stray hair strand behind her ear and took a few steps away from his portrait.

"Focus, Hermione," she ordered herself under her breath, refusing to look back at Draco's portrait. "Focus on your task."

She secretly looked back on the portrait and her blush came back full-force.

_Oh Merlin_, he was so handsome.

Her eyes widened and she hastily scampered away from the corridor, afraid that her traitorous mind would conjure more embarrassing thoughts and completely distract her away from her current task.

As soon as she was out of the corridor, she sighed in relief. Absentmindedly, she rubbed her inflamed cheeks and scanned her map once again.

Thankfully, she was nearing the room of her parents.

The West Wing of the Malfoy Manor had so far been quite an… interesting part of the whole house. It was extremely different from the East Wing, where the dungeons and such things were located. The West Wing almost seemed uninhibited, although everything was perfectly clean. She thought it was wise for Voldemort to order his parent's imprisonment in the West Wing, away from prying eyes.

It also held a lot of mysterious artifacts Hermione did not dare to touch or at least scrutinize. The West Wing was screaming with Dark Magic, and she was afraid that if she were to touch one single antique, something bad would happen to her. After all, she was in a grand Manor. It would make sense if the Malfoys bewitched their possessions to ward of potential thieves. Not that she would steal anything, anyway.

Hermione's eyes landed once again on her map and halted. Confused, she looked behind. She had already passed by her parents' room without even noticing it!

'_That's why you should focus, Hermione,' _the brunette, reprimanded herself, taking a few steps back.

She came face-to-face with a bookshelf, holding both Wizarding and Muggle literature. Her eyebrows raised upon seeing _"Crime and Punishment"_ sandwiched in between _"Magick Moste Evil" _and _"Secrets of the Darkest Arts"_.

Shivering, she looked away. She remembered seeing those books in the Restricted Section of the library, containing evil things and the darkest arts, indeed.

Hermione then brandished out her wand and pointed it directly on the bookshelf. She mouthed the spell again and again before saying it aloud with the accompanied wand movement.

To her immense relief, the bookshelf had moved itself to reveal an ornate door with a snake for its door handle.

Staring, she swallowed a lump that was forming in her throat.

She was finally a door away from her parents.

Chuckling breathlessly, she shook her head. Of course, there were a few more complicated spells that guarded her parents' door. But still, she was finally here; the closest thing she had ever been to her parents ever since they were held captive by Voldemort.

She had broken through a few spells already and as more spells were released, more tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. Her heart was thudding loudly inside her ribcage and she couldn't perfectly perform a spell without stopping for a while to control the shaking of her wand hand.

One spell proved to be the most difficult of all. Hermione had been so frustrated of not executing it properly. To her immense horror and frustration, she realized she had spelt the incantation wrong. Grumbling under her breath, she had corrected it and was finally able to break it.

"OI!"

Hermione gasped and whipped around, only to come face-to-face with an older Death Eater. Squinting, she was able to recognize him as Rookwood.

"It isn't the time to visit them for the day," he drawled, obviously annoyed.

The Slytherin in disguise cursed herself for overlooking one important matter – the corridor was guarded by random Death Eaters. She almost cried right there and then, but she was frozen on the spot, unable to move.

Terror ran down her spine. What if she was busted? Oh Merlin, she was right in front of the door of her parents!

"Females are only allowed to enter the room, newbie," he sneered, taking a few steps toward her. As he glanced at the room, he was surprised to see that half of the guard spells of the room were broken. With eyes wide, he looked back at Hermione. "How did you…?" His eyes narrowed menacingly. "Who are you?"

She tumbled a step back, involuntarily scrunching her nose in disgust. His breath smelled awfully foul and she had to turn her head away to hide her disgust.

"Answer me," he demanded, brandishing his wand out and pointing it directly under Hermione's chin.

Unable to stop it, she quivered in fear.

Rookwood seemed to relish with her terror and took another menacing step towards the trembling brunette. "Who are - ."

"Rookwood."

Surprised, both he and Hermione looked at the direction of the newcomer's voice, only to see Draco Malfoy calmly standing a few feet away from them, his arms crossed against his chest.

"Young Malfoy, what a surprise," he said, slightly withdrawing his wand away.

To Hermione's horror, a terrified whimper escaped from her lips.

Draco's mercurial eyes landed squarely on her and she was taken aback at the raging storm of emotions swirling in his orbs.

"I assume that the meeting is done now," Rookwood snarled. His bitterness was apparent, and Hermione reckoned it was probably because he wanted to be part of the meeting instead of guarding a boring corridor.

"Yes," he said, his eyes still stared intently on Hermione. "Austen, come here."

Hermione took a few staggering steps towards Draco but was then suddenly stopped by Rookwood. A gasp escaped from Hermione's lips and she tried to struggle free, but then, Draco's hand suddenly clasped her free wrist to steady her.

His grip was eerily tight.

"You can't let him escape, Draco," Rookwood said, glaring at Hermione. "I've caught him breaking off the wards of the _filthy _Muggles. The Dark Lord has to know. He'd be pleased with what I've brought him."

Draco's façade never broke. The only indication of the sudden surge of anger coursing through him was the tighter grip he had on her wrist. Hermione couldn't help but to wince in pain.

"Rookwood, trust me, this one is extremely idiotic," Draco said through gritted teeth. "He tends to lose his way, even in the most dangerous places. I know him and he's a reckless bastard. There's no need to alert the Dark Lord."

Rookwood's grip with her arm went limp. Without any second thoughts, Hermione scrambled beside Draco.

"What about the wards, Malfoy?" the Death Eater asked, inclining his head towards the exposed door. "This cannot be done by a mere idiot, I tell you."

The blond sighed in frustration. "Just restore the wards," he growled. "It isn't a grueling task, compared to breaking them, right?"

"Getting cheeky now, m'boy?" Rookwood snarled, raising a filthy eyebrow.

Once again, Draco sighed and grabbed a money pouch from his pocket. He thrust it towards the Death Eater. "Here, take this just to keep your mouth shut," the blond continued, getting more and more furious as more minutes passed by.

Rookwood peered inside the small sack and gasped at the surprising amount inside. His eyes shone as he stared back at Draco, a huge, feral grin on his face. Hermione shrank back in fear.

"If you say one word, just one, _tiny _word to the Dark Lord, expect to not to wake the very next day, do you understand?"

Hermione had stared at Draco with wide eyes. His threat sounded anything but empty.

Rookwood seemed to realize it, too, because a small flicker of fear flashed through his eyes. Soon, it was gone, replaced by once again, a huge grin on his face. "Lucius seemed to rub off into you, young Malfoy. He should be proud," he said, pocketing the money bag. "I swear, not a word."

With a wave of his wand, the wards were placed back once again and the bookshelf went back to its original place with a loud 'bang'. "Goodnight," he inclined his head before turning around and leaving the two alone.

As soon as he was gone, Draco tightly gripped Hermione's hand and forcefully dragged her back to the training room.

She had let him without any protests.

* * *

Teddy released a wide yawn as soon as they stepped inside the room. "Merlin, it's our fifth training but still I'm not used to this late night shenanigans." He ran hastily towards his comfortable bed and dove, burying his head under his pillow.

"If Dumbledore wants to know who the Death Eaters are, he should suspect those with huge bags under their eyes," Blaise said, chuckling tiredly.

"Hear, hear," Teddy mumbled, his voice muffled by the pillow. "I'm so happy it's a Saturday today… oh wait, it's Sunday already. I can sleep in as long as I want."

His head emerged from the pillow and grinned. "Say, I think you're awfully relieved that we're still practicing on rats, eh, Hermes?"

He watched as his roommate crossed the threshold, his smile magnetizing down into a frown.

"You okay, Hermes?" he asked, slowly sitting up from his bed to stare worriedly at his roommate. "You seem… fidgety."

"I-I'm fine," Hermione lamely answered, blindingly sitting on her own bed.

"Are you sure?" It was Blaise who asked it this time. His voice was also laced with obvious worry. "Merlin, Hermes, you're pale." At the corner of his eyes, he saw a pensive Draco slowly sitting down his own bed, his eyes intently trained on the disguised brunette.

"Draco," the Italian continued. The blond's eyes averted themselves away from Hermione. "I… did something happen? I'm… sorry I broke my promise. Hermes was being persistent!" A charming smile graced his handsome features but then, it disappeared when Draco merely stared.

"It's fine, Blaise," he said, although it was obvious it was anything but.

"Hey, mate…" Blaise continued, although his voice faltered when Draco once again averted his attention back to Hermione. "Did… something happen?"

Sleep completely wiped off from Teddy as his back snapped straighter, alarmed. "Hermes?" Teddy asked. "I… I don't like how you're looking right now."

And to the immense horror of the other three, Hermione had suddenly burst into tears. It was not the soft and silent crying. It was more of a huge, heaving, _guttural _sobbing and within seconds, it brought an extremely horrified Teddy to his knees, just beside Hermione.

"O-o-oh, damn," she managed to gasp out, covering her face to hide her tears. "T-t-this is e-e-embarrassing."

"Draco!" Teddy beseeched as the Italian also joined him. "What happened?"

The blond tiredly sighed and closed his eyes. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and soon opened his eyes once again. "Theo, Blaise… can you get something for Austen. Butterbeer perhaps?"

Teddy seemed reluctant to leave her side but nodded nonetheless. "All right," he said, now standing up. "Will you be all right, Hermes? _Please_… tell me."

Hermione, not trusting herself to speak, merely nodded her head. Teddy ran a hand through her hair for comfort and it took her a great effort to give him a smile. The carefree Slytherin couldn't help but hug her for comfort.

"I'll bring you something for comfort, I swear." He said it with so much conviction; she managed to release a soft chuckle, although it more of sounded like a strangled gurgle. Nonetheless, it slightly relieved Teddy.

"Blaise," he said, clutching the Italian's arm. "Come on."

"No," he said, his eyes never leaving Draco's face. "I'm staying until you tell me what happened."

"Blaise, don't make me beg," Draco said, his exhausting growing. "Just… leave. I'll take care of this myself."

He had narrowed his eyes and Draco was surprised with the sudden stubbornness of his best mate, although, he did not show it.

Finally, Blaise budged and allowed Teddy to help him stand up. "We'll be back as soon as possible, Hermes," he swore, his tone changing into a gentle one.

Hermione nodded and with that, both Blaise and Teddy disappeared from their room.

Draco mentally counted from one-to-ten, before thundering a furiously whispered, "What were you thinking?"

The brunette flinched and cried louder behind her hands. "I-I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm sorry."

"That was dangerous, Austen. You could have been caught," he continued, although the initial fury had mellowed.

"I-I know," she cried. "I'm sorry."

The fury instantly melted away and Draco sat down on Blaise's bed, parallel from Hermione's. Oh Merlin, he always hated it when he sees Granger cry, especially if he was the reason for her tears. But seeing her so distressed unlike before made his heart ache.

'_Please stop crying, please. I absolutely __**loathe **__it when you cry,' _he beseeched silently but he was too cowardly to voice it out loud.

"I-I was almost close, Malfoy," she whispered, sniffling. The brunette lifted her tear-stained face and stared directly into Draco's eyes. "Ju-just a few more countercurses; a few more _spells _a-a-and I was almost able to see" – she swallowed a huge lump – "m-m-my p-parents."

A new round of tears started and she desperately tried to wipe them away. "Oh Merlin, I should be strong," she sobbed. "I-I-I won't accomplish anything if I s-s-sob like a bloody baby every time I-I-I'm closer to them."

She tried to chuckle nervously, but failed. Immensely.

Draco found her struggle ridiculously adorable, although, he never told her. Sighing, he retrieved a handkerchief from his trousers and offered it gingerly to the brunette.

Hermione seemed surprised with his sudden gentlemanliness but gratefully accepted the offered handkerchief, nonetheless. "Thank you," she whispered, dabbing the material against her wet eyes. She subconsciously commented mentally that his hanky smelled so much like him.

"Will you be all right?" Draco asked, repeating Teddy's earlier question.

The brunette seemed to realize this, too, because she cracked a small smile. "Of course, Malfoy. I'm just being plain silly today." She unbecomingly blew her nose with the usage of his hanky. Smiling sheepishly, she said, "I'm sorry. I think I'm ruining your handkerchief."

"It's fine," he said, brushing it off.

"Dr-Draco?" she asked.

His eyes widened.

"Can I call you that?" she asked timidly, her eyes trained intently on the cloth on her hands.

"Of course," he said, trying to sound nonchalant while demanding his heart to slow down its beating.

"Draco?"

A pleasant thrill ran down his spine. His name sounded so _beautiful _rolling out from her mouth.

"Y-yes?" he stuttered, faintly blushing.

"Thank you."

"For what?" He nervously ran a hand through his hair and stared straight at the brunette. To his surprise, she was also looking back at him. Thankfully, her sobbing had slightly ceased.

"Well, for your information, you had this weird habit of suddenly popping into rescue every time I'm in dire need," she said, wiping a lone tear that traveled down from her right eye. "But that weird habit of yours had saved me countless times already. So, thank you."

His heart warmed with her words.

"He-Hermione." Her name sounded so foreign while uttering it aloud. He was so used in thinking about her name. Saying it aloud was a different thing. She seemed to be surprised, though, but then, a pleased smile flitted on her face.

"Yes, Draco?"

He beamed, this time voluntarily. She seemed taken aback by the sudden facial expression on his face.

"Hermione," he stated once again, loving the fact that he was freely uttering her name aloud without seeing her cringe in disgust or annoyance. "You are welcome."

A huge smile stretched on her face. Draco imprinted that expression on her face; heck, engraved it in his brain even. He officially had a new memory to dream of and relieve of everyday, every night.

* * *

**A/N: And, end of chapter twenty-five? SO, how was it? Was it all right? It's not perfectly edited since this chapter is unbeta-ed. I think my Beta Reader is still on vacation XD **

**Anyway, I had fun during my vacation, but I was slowly growing insane with boredom… See the irony? Bah, I think I'm really addicted to the internet anymore. I feel queasy every time I cannot check my email! **

**Speaking of emails, I received a lot of reviews/favorited/alerted notifications not only for **_**OaP **_**but also to my other stories. Good God, six more reviews and my **_**11 Things **_**will have 600 reviews already! Still makes me cry that a lot of people are supporting my already finished story. I also noticed that my **_**OaP **_**had attracted more attention :D; hence, I'd like to thank all those who reviewed (oh, especially you, people), favorited, and alerted **_**OaP**_**. I'm seriously happy. **

**I found new loves during the summer by the way. First is the awesome Wii. Thank Merlin my father bought one or else I'd be bored to death. Another is the NBA Playoffs… XD Yup, I love basketball. Does anyone watch that, too (GO BOSTON CELTICS). And lastly - *drum roll, please* - Phineas and Ferb. I ADORE THAT CARTOON. I can't believe I just started watching the episodes last month. **

**So, that's all for now. I hope you'll review this chapter, too. **

**From the Heart,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe**

**PS: I have a new story… *smiles evilly* Long vacations always do me good. I formulated **_**11 Things **_**during the summer two years ago. I formulated **_**Only a Pretense**_** during the summer last year. And now… **_**this. **_**I'm not telling anything yet about this new story of mine, except that I'm currently typing chapter two of thirty plus chapters. I'm still starting, but I'm so satisfied with the outcome of my outline. I'll reveal more things about this soon. WAM :D**


	26. Best Friends

**Disclaimer: Doo-Be Doo-Be Doo-Ba! Doo-Be Doo-Be Doo-Ba! Doo-Be Doo-Be Doo-Ba! WickedlyAwesomeMe! HAHAHAHAHA! Guess where I got that? :p **

**Anyway, this disclaimer is basically saying I'm not JK Rowling and I'm… Doo-Be Doo-Be Doo… **_**okay, **_**I'll cut it out. XD **

* * *

**A/N: Sorry about the disclaimer above. I'm just feeling a little hyper and all today. Anyway, ignore my grammatical errors. Again, this is unbeta-ed, and I'm too lazy to read it for the nth time. So, without further ado, I present to you, Chapter Twenty-Six!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Best Friends**

* * *

Sunlight lazily broke all throughout the room, illuminating anything that it could reach. One sunray washed over Hermione's sleeping face, which prompted her to slowly open her tired eyes.

Blinking rapidly, Hermione slowly sat up on her bed, one hand vigorously rubbing sand off her eyes. She discovered that she was the only person in the room; the other three were probably in the Great Hall.

Her cheeks slightly colored as she stood up, remembering the events that had happened last night and early this morning. Her cheeks darkened as she remembered that she had embarrassed herself immensely in front of her roommates as soon as she broke into tears, her resolve finally breaking after being so close to her parents.

She never really knew why she suddenly wailed right there and then. Too many emotions overwhelmed her and seeing her roommates so worried was the final straw.

Hermione softly chuckled, despite the dread in her heart, as she recalled how Teddy seemed to grow panicky as more tears escaped from her eyes. He was endearing, with his eyes wide as saucers and nose scrunched up in slight horror. Blaise was even more hilarious, his typical cool and calm demeanor slipping off as he stared at her tearstained face.

Her smile grew wider upon remembering Draco's reaction. He seemed uncomfortable; horrified, even. There were a myriad of emotions swirling in his eyes, but she was too disoriented to delve deeper.

The brunette's eyes landed on the handkerchief he had offered to her yesterday, sitting innocently on her bedside table. It was crumpled and wet because of her constant wiping, but nonetheless, she gingerly grabbed it and handled it with great care.

This handkerchief was proof that even Draco Malfoy had a heart. Sure, he was mostly the reason why she had cried countless times in her years in Hogwarts before. But to finally give her something as a simple gesture of comfort… Hermione grew confused, though, grateful. She had seen another side of Draco Malfoy and she couldn't help but feel slightly special to be able to witness it.

She remembered the way his name sounded so… _beautiful _rolling out from her tongue. Pleasant butterflies fluttered in her stomach and she bounded for the bathroom, thinking of freshening-up.

"Draco," she whispered, feeling giddy all of a sudden. "Draco."

Merlin, his name sounded so _good_. Of course, she had called him that a few times before, all because she had to act like she had not hated his guts for all of her life. Saying his name a few times before would not fail to make her nose scrunch up in disgust. But now that she was calling him by his first name _and _he gave his permission, Hermione couldn't help but feel lightheaded all of a sudden.

Her reflection came into view as she stared at the mirror, ready to brush her teeth. The sight that she beheld was astonishing, to put it simply. Her cheeks were flushed into a lovely color of red. Her eyes were alight with so much brightness (despite the puffiness due to sobbing hysterical hours ago); her usual toffee-colored eyes were lighter than usual. Her lips were stretched widely into a grin. Merlin, _all _of her teeth was bared.

And all of these were because of Draco Malfoy.

She froze.

Because of _Draco Malfoy_.

The pinkness of her cheeks disappeared, replaced by a sudden paleness.

'_Wow,' _she thought, shaking her head to get rid of such thoughts. Her short hair bounced with her every move. _'How is it that Draco Malfoy suddenly changed from being the most loathsome git in the whole wide world to… ?' _

Her mind instantly blanked out. Blinking, she charmed toothpaste to appear on her toothbrush and thoughtfully brushed her teeth.

What exactly was Draco Malfoy now to her? Sure, he was still an insufferable jerk at times but then, other sides of him would show and she would just stare at him, open-mouthed, and tried to convince herself that the blond standing in front of her was not someone from outer space.

He had changed, she reckoned. Drastically, even. Every time she looked at him, the spoiled bully was gone, replaced by a grown-up young man, who actually loved a few, selected people. He was not the cowardly boy who would constantly hide behind his father's shadow, but a man who had inconspicuously defied the said father's orders.

Spitting on the sink, she shook her head to get rid of thoughts about him. She had been awfully thinking about him lately and she had this feeling that it wasn't healthy.

She had to focus back on more important things, like saving her parents.

Last night was truly a… _remarkable_ day. Seeing the door of the room where her parents were currently staying had sparked the dormant hope in her system. Standing outside of the room, tears clouding her senses, made her realize that saving her parents had not been a futile task after all. It gave her the much-needed hope that someday, she would be able to save her parents from the vile monster's clutches and they would once again be a one big, happy family.

Hermione's head then perked up. The door of their room had gently closed. Apparently, there was a newcomer. She hastily washed her face and magicked her clothes to change into today's outfit – simple green robes.

Grimacing, she opened the bathroom door and walked out. She could not believe this but she actually missed wearing a skirt.

Her frown then turned into a huge smile upon seeing Blaise, sitting silently on his bed.

"Good morning!" she happily cried, the huge smile still present on her face.

Blaise had scrutinized her first before hesitatingly returning back her smile. "It's actually a good afternoon now," he said, slowly standing up from his bed. "You've missed breakfast and lunch."

Upon hearing the words 'breakfast' and 'lunch', Hermione's tummy grumbled loudly. Chuckling in embarrassment, she rubbed her empty stomach and grinned at the amused Italian. "No wonder I'm famished," she said, walking towards her trunk to retrieve a black jumper.

"Lunch isn't served in the Great Hall anymore," Blaise said.

She shrugged. "It's okay," she commented. "I'll go to the kitchens, then." The brunette had swiveled around and was about to step out of the room when Blaise caught her elbow, halting her completely.

"Do you… do you want me to accompany you?" he asked, a hopeful smile on his face. Two pink patches formed on his cheek as he waited in anticipation for her answer.

She returned back his smile. "That's quite all right, I guess."

* * *

"Young Master Zabini!" Blinky squeaked, scrambling up from the stool he was sitting on as soon as Blaise and Hermione walked inside the kitchen. "Blinky is surprised!"

Hermione questioningly looked at Blaise, who merely shrugged as he smiled at the house-elf. "He used to work under my family," he lightly commented. "My mother got tired of him so he gave him clothes to set him free. Blinky was an emotional wreck so I told him to work in the Hogwarts kitchen. He'd never been happier after landing here."

"How… awful," she commented, looking sympathetically at the enthusiastic house-elf.

Blaise grinned. He figured that she would say something like that. After all, he knew about her SPEW during fourth year and how she fought stubbornly for the rights of poor creatures like these house-elves.

"It's good that he's working in Hogwarts now," he added. "The Headmaster gives them a galleon a month. They're not exactly thrilled, but accepted Dumbledore's kindness, nonetheless."

The brunette nodded and then smiled. Dumbledore never failed her expectations.

"What would you like to eat?" Blaise asked, directing her towards an empty table in the kitchen.

The brunette looked thoughtful for a moment. "Any kinds of pasta will suffice," she feebly said, looking around the kitchen. She subconsciously thought that it had been a while since she had last visited this room.

"You heard him," Blaise said, nodding his head towards his house-elf.

Blinky's mouth stretched into a huge smile. "Anything for Young Master Zabini's friend, Mister!" he cried happily.

"One more thing, Blinky," the Italian added. "Serve the usual, okay?"

The house-elf bobbed his head up and down excitedly before scampering away. He returned back after mere minutes, which had greatly surprised the brunette.

"They're used to working hastily, you know," Blaise said, answering her unspoken question. When Hermione looked at him, he was wearing his usual charming smile.

She hummed for reply, returning back his smile.

The spaghetti looked and smelled delectable. Her stomach grumbled once again and her mouth watered. Daintily, she grabbed her fork and started to wrap a few noodles around it. Blinky had stayed to witness her reaction, directing his huge eyes on her face. Hermione almost laughed at his ridiculous expression.

Finally, the spaghetti went inside her mouth. She munched quietly for a while, until she broke into the brightest smile she could muster. "This is… this is…" she blubbered out, eyes lit up in joy. "Oh, I can't even think of the right word to describe its taste. Thank you, Blinky. Thank you very much."

The little house-elf clapped his hands in joy. His huge ears were slightly bent with embarrassment. "It is Blinky's pleasure to make Young Master Zabini's friend happy, Mister Friend." He bent down so low his nose almost touched the tiled-floor. And then, he shot up straight and bounded back to his workplace.

"Wow, this is incredible, Blaise," Hermione said after a few more bites. "I haven't tasted this before. How come it doesn't taste like anything the house-elf had ever prepared before?"

Blaise had this huge smile on his face when he answered. "Well, Blinky doesn't usually cook for meals. He's assigned to wash the dishes and pots," he explained. "It's a huge waste, actually. The house-elf's an admirable cook. I'll take note of that and tell it to Dumbledore, if you like."

"That will be nice," Hermione said, a grin stretching on her face.

Blinky soon came back, this time with a tray of teapot and two cups on one hand and balancing another tray of treacle tart on the other.

Upon Hermione's inquisitive gaze, he answered, "I usually eat these on my nightly ritual. Since we're here, I might as well eat some." He grabbed one treacle tart on the tray and took a bite. He grinned. "Blinky's treacle tart are amazing, too, you should try it."

The brunette took one from the tray and also took a bite. "You're right," she said, nodding her head in the agreement. "It's amazing."

Blaise finished off the tart and clutched the handle of the teapot. He poured some tea on one cup and to the other before settling it back on the tray. "Here, drink this," he said, offering one steaming cup to the brunette. "It usually comforts me when I'm distressed."

Her fork halted in mid-air as she stared at Blaise, surprised. "We-well," she said, settling the fork down on the table. "Thank you, Blaise."

He gave her a small smile. "Was everything all right this morning?" he asked, absentmindedly grabbing another treacle tart from his plate. "I've never seen somebody cry_ that_ much before."

Two pink patches formed on her cheeks and she scratched the back of her neck in embarrassment. "Well… umm… I was…" She swallowed a forming lump in her throat. "I got so… sad for the… rats."

'_Lame,' _she thought, grimacing.

"Uh-huh," Blaise said, an amused smile on his face. This made her blush more. The smile on his face faltered and he settled the treat back on the plate. "I've never seen… Draco like that, too, you know."

Her heart skipped a beat upon hearing his name. "What do you mean?" she asked. The plate of spaghetti in front of her was now left untouched.

"I… don't know," Blaise said, frowning. "He hadn't looked very, very… bothered and angered at the same time before. What _really _happened?"

Hermione avoided his gaze. Her eyes landed on the plate and she unconsciously played with her fork. Oh, she wanted to tell Blaise really, really badly. But that also meant that she had to tell him the _truth_. She was not ready for him to know it. Not yet.

"I… can't," she finally said, meeting his unwavering gaze. She bit her bottom lip upon seeing huge disappointment in his eyes.

She had waited with bated breath for his reaction. What he soon said had astonished her beyond comprehension. "And Draco can know," he softly spat bitterly. Hermione's eyebrows shot up, her eyes widening for a bit. "I told you to approach me _first _when you're troubled, right?"

"I… I…" She clamped her mouth and swallowed. "I'm sorry, Blaise. I… can't tell you now. Maybe some time. But not now."

The Italian heaved a huge sigh, his eyes softening. She seemed sincere. Right then and there, he suddenly had the urge to confess that he had known about her secret all along, that the brunette sitting opposite from him was actually Hermione Granger in disguise. But, he stopped himself. Instead, he forced a small smile on his face and uttered a small, "It's okay."

Hermione looked relieved, even allowing herself to smile brightly. "Thank you, Blaise," she said. "You're really a good friend, you know. No, wait, scratch that. You're really a good _best _friend."

A wry smile flitted on his face and he looked away so that she wouldn't see the disappointment in his eyes.

'_I've watched you ever since but you always choose another to comfort you,' _was the last thought in his mind before looking back at her, bitter thoughts about a certain blond completely wiped away from his brain.

* * *

Hermione walked happily in an almost-crowded corridor in Hogwarts, one hand rubbing her stomach in satisfaction. She just had a delicious meal with Blaise Zabini and her mood had gotten better after. Blaise had left her since he had to serve detention with Argus Filch. She could barely hide her surprise when he announced his rendezvous.

"Your notion of my being a goody-two-shoes is absolutely preposterous, Hermes. There's a reason why I landed in _Slytherin_, after all," he had told her a few minutes before their parting, lips quirked up in an amused smile.

Chuckling with the memory, she continued her mindless journey. A huge smile stretched on her face as she greeted some of her few Housemates. She was even unfazed when a sixth year Gryffindor had forcefully shoved her aside, earning her a small scratch on her left arm. No, nothing could dampen her mood now.

"Her-mes!"

Teddy suddenly materialized in front of her and she backpedaled, astonished.

"Oh, seriously, Teddy," she said, softly chuckling. "You should stop appearing unexpectedly. You almost gave me a heart attack."

The smile on the carefree Slytherin's face did not falter. "Come with me," he said, gently grasping her right arm. "I'm going to bring you somewhere you will like."

* * *

"Wow," Hermione commented, eyes glazed with unadulterated wonder and awe. Her eyes landed on a triumphant Teddy, a huge smile settling on her face. "It's beautiful."

They were standing on the roof of the Gryffindor Tower, higher than the Astronomy Tower. Hermione had always liked going to the Astronomy Tower. Seeing Hogwarts and the other places from above had always been breathtaking for Hermione. But now that they were somewhere higher than the Astronomy Tower … it had really taken her breath away. The view from here was wonderful; from the vast green carpet of the treetops in the Forbidden Forest to the small, dotted figures, which are the stores in Hogsmeade, were seen by her own eyes.

"It's beautiful, yeah," Teddy commented lightly, eyes trained intently on the brunette.

Hermione slowly turned to him, the smile still present on her face. "Thank you for bringing me to this place, Teddy," she said, approaching him forward.

The carefree Slytherin shrugged, nonchalantly placing his hands inside his front pockets. "This is where I usually go when I'm distressed," he said. "Judging by your sudden… outburst this morning, I think it'll do you good to be brought here by me."

Her smile slightly faltered. "Not you, too," she teasingly said.

He pouted. "What do you mean?"

Chuckling, she ran a hand through her billowing hair. "Well, Blaise had brought me to the kitchen to offer me some tea for comfort after what had happened this morning," she said, amused.

"Oh," he said, not entirely pleased. He made a mental note to give Blaise a glare later for making a move first before him. "Well, it's not exactly our fault. I mean, I haven't seen a bloke cry his eyes out in my life. _Ever_."

Her cheeks colored and she managed to flash a small smile. "We-well," she stuttered out. She cleared her throat. "Um… like what I've said to Blaise earlier, I was just sad about those poor rats. They did not deserve to be our practice dummies, you know."

Unsurprisingly, Teddy had bought her lie. Hermione was actually eternally grateful to the great cosmic powers above for making Teddy a thickheaded git.

"I'm sorry," he said. And he really was. A ridiculous, yet adorable, pout graced his features as he gingerly clutched her right arm. "I truly am. I was sorry for those poor rats, too, you know. But, it's way better than using humans, right?"

He had a point, she reckoned. The brunette nodded her head and gave him a smile. "Thank you, Teddy," she said. "Really. You've made me happy today, you know."

His heart fluttered in happiness. "Hermes?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"Can I hug you?"

Hermione looked up at him, surprised. A sheepish, yet hopeful smile was on his face. His cheeks were also inflamed in slight embarrassment. He looked, to put it simply, adorable. "Of course, Teddy," she said, slightly opening her arms.

She had gasped aloud when his arms wrapped around her torso very tightly. "Give me a little air, perhaps?" she asked, chuckling.

* * *

"Give me a little air, perhaps?"

Teddy, grinning in embarrassment, loosened his grip. "I'm sorry," he said.

Hermes merely laughed and fondly patted his back.

His feelings for this certain brunette had grown abnormally huge as more weeks passed by. The fact that his roommate was actually a boy did not faze him anymore, surprising him immensely.

When he started to bawl his eyes out a few hours ago, Teddy felt his heart breaking into two. Those sobs emitted from his lips were so heart-wrenching Teddy almost cried.

"I…" he started, his eyes drifting close. "I always hated to see the people I most care about depressed… I-I don't want to see you so sad, too, Hermes. It pulls my mood down."

Hermes slowly pulled away from his hug and looked at him squarely on his sapphire eyes. "Thank you, Teddy," he said, followed by the smile that always awakened the dormant butterflies in his stomach.

Merlin, he had it bad.

_**Really bad. **_

* * *

Hermione was trudging on the empty corridor of the seventh floor, a huge grin on her face. Being brought to Teddy's 'special place' (he dubbed) had made her happier than the time she woke up. Being on top of Hogwarts, _literally_, had been an amazing experience for her. No wonder Harry had always claimed that whenever he had a free time, he would fly with his broomstick and hover on it a few feet above the castle.

Speaking of Harry, she looked at the parchment she was currently clutching on her right hand in curiosity.

She and Teddy had talked about nonsensical things after the carefree Slytherin had claimed that he did not want her to see distressed. Just then, a school owl swooped down on Hermione's lap and offered its left leg, where a letter was attached to it.

Apparently, it was Harry's, summoning her to the Room of Requirement as soon as possible. She could sense his urgency and so, she was sorry to leave Teddy and his special place just to rush to the secret room.

Soon, she was facing the wall opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy.

'_I need a place to meet with Harry,' _she thought, starting to pace. _'I need a place to meet with Harry. I need a place to meet with Harry.' _

She then halted in her steps once a door materialized in front of her.

Bracing herself for whatever Harry would do to her on the other side of the room, Hermione opened the door and stepped inside.

As soon as she arrived, Harry's arms enveloped her into a surprising, yet warm hug.

"Harry!" she exclaimed in surprise, gently closing the door. After all, there could be some random _eavesdroppers _that could pass by (ahem – _Malfoy _– ahem).

"Are you okay?" he asked, pulling away from their hug, but not completely letting go of her waist. Apprehension was clearly etched on his face and he was unwilling to let go of her.

Hermione merely blinked. A disbelieving smile stretched on her face as she gingerly placed a hand on Harry's cheek and started to rub it. "What are you talking about, Harry Potter?" she asked, one eyebrow raised. "I'm perfectly fine."

"No, no, no," he said, shaking his head. He finally pulled away from her, his right hand enclosing around her arm, before leading her to their usual comfortable sofa.

As soon as she was settled, Harry started to pace in front of her.

Hermione had only watched him silently for a few minutes, amusement and curiosity mingling in her eyes. But then, Harry's pacing had started to give her a slight headache and so, she told him off. "Harry, sit down," she gently ordered, rubbing her temples. "Just looking at you gives me a headache. What's going on?"

Harry finally stopped his frantic walking. He halted right in front of Hermione and his apprehension came back in full force. "I heard about what happened last night," he confessed. He released a tired sigh before plopping down beside her on the couch.

The brunette's eyes widened in surprise. "You… _knew_?" she gasped out. "How?"

The Gryffindor released another sigh. "Dumbledore told me," he said. "And prior to that was Malfoy's complete report about what had happened on your training." He gave her a withering look. "Hermione… _how could you_? That was… that was dangerous! You could have at least told someone. Dumbledore… me."

As soon as she realized what he was talking about, guilt crept up into her heart. "I'm sorry, Harry," she sincerely said. The brunette gingerly reached for his right hand and was glad that he did not try to retrieve it back. "I do not want to make you worried of me. I'm sorry." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it. Harry's hand fell limply on his lap.

The slight rage in his eyes mellowed and soon, he was merely staring at her in exhaustion. "I should have known that would have happened sooner or later," he said, dropping his head in his hands. "You tend to put yourself into dangerous situations as soon as your emotions cloud your logic. Oh Merlin, I was worried sick, Hermione. _So much_."

"Harry…"

"I don't want to lose you to that… that bastard, Hermione!" he suddenly exclaimed, raising his eyes to meet her surprised ones. Hermione slightly recoiled, which he pointedly noticed. The-Boy-Who-Lived calmed himself down before releasing a groan.

"Harry," she whispered once again, reaching for the Gryffindor. "Do you… do you want me to give you a hug."

Despite his distress, Harry chuckled. "Oh, Hermione, really," he said, but opened up his arms, nonetheless.

Grinning meekly, Hermione wrapped her arms around his torso and settled her head on his chest. Unbeknownst to her, her hug had completely evaporated all the frustration and anger Harry had felt for her minutes ago.

"I'm sorry, Harry," she murmured, lightly placing a kiss on his cheek. "I truly am."

Sighing, he closed his eyes and leaned his face against the top of her head. "Promise me that if you are to do something dangerous _or _something related to your current task, you're going to tell me, okay?"

Hermione bit her lip.

"_Okay_?" he emphasized once again, pulling away to stare at her eyes directly.

The brunette in disguise sighed and nodded her head.

"Say it."

"I promise," she said begrudgingly, frowning at him.

A small smile appeared on his face and he fondly patted her head. "There, there, no need to say that while looking like you've eaten something rotten," he teased.

She smiled, despite herself. The usual cheerful Harry was back once again.

"Oh, by the way!" Harry exclaimed, completely pulling away from her hug. Curious, Hermione watched as he retrieved a small material from his pocket. With the wave of his wand, the object grew until the size of a book.

"A book?" she asked, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"A photo album, to be exact," he corrected while gently laying it on her lap.

Hermione merely stared, recognizing the said photo album. "You're giving it to me?" Upon seeing him nod, she frowned. "But Harry… this is yours, is it not? Hagrid had given it to you in the end of our first year. Doesn't it contain pictures of your parents?"

He shrugged. "I've browsed through them for countless times, Hermione. I've practically memorized every picture in every page already! And besides, I removed them and left some pictures of you, Ron, and me. There are some random pictures with our other Gryffindor friends. A few photos of the Weasleys. Oh, even the Order of the Phoenix."

The brunette slowly opened the photo album and browsed through it. It was filled with pictures from their first year to their sixth year. Happy times, sad times, amusing times… By the time that she finally closed the book, Hermione was surprised to find herself crying.

"I figured you would need something to comfort you for a bit. After what happened last night, you know," Harry whispered, gently brushing off tears from her eyes. "Just to give you some assurance that there are still people who would be waiting for you. It… isn't much, Hermione. But I hope you appreciate it."

"Oh, Harry, this is wonderful," she softly cried, grinning up at him. She hugged the photo album by her chest and cried more.

"They miss you, you know," he said. "Terribly. Yesterday, my girlfriend just suddenly came running to me and throwing her arms around me. When I asked her what was wrong, she said that she had dreamt about you last night. Ginny was, _is_, still devastated."

She smiled, fondly remembering her girl best friend. "I miss them, too," she said, haphazardly wiping her face to remove her tears.

"With that photo album, you'll be able to know that we will always be beside you, 'Mione," he continued. "Even if we're not really there… physically."

Hermione nodded, her smile widening. "Thank you, Harry. I really mean it."

He returned back an equally wide smile.

* * *

'_Wow, this day had been… eventful,' _Hermione commented lightly as she trudged back to the Slytherin common room, her new photo album clutched against her chest.

Teddy, Blaise… even Harry, had greatly surprised her. They had comforted her in their own way but all of them had one thing in common – they had comforted her, indeed.

Chuckling, she stepped inside the common room after saying the password. She had cheerfully greeted Mina, who was doing her homework on one of the tables. She high-fived with Ivan Raft and offered him an easy smile. She even kissed Pansy on the forehead when she waved at her.

Her three friends should be blamed for her sudden good mood. It was as if everything that had happened last night was merely a dream… something that did not really happen at all. She had to clutch the photo album tighter against her chest to assure her that this was not a dream.

She arrived at their room and was disappointed to find it deserted. She actually wanted to have some company from her other roommates. A sudden loneliness washed over her features and she sighed, her rear end landing gently on her mattress, and she opened the photo album again.

Hermione got used to have the company of those people that mattered to her for the whole day and it had slightly dampened her mood to know that nobody was beside her now.

'_Oh, really, Hermione,' _she said, shaking her head as she settled the photo album on her bed. _'They have other things to do than to comfort you.' _

She released another chuckle and ran a hand through her hair. Wow, for a moment there, she had acted like a true, selfish Slytherin. Ooh, she could already imagine Harry Potter's reaction.

A small yawn escaped from her lips and she decided to take a little nap before dinner. Because of her happiness a while ago, she did not notice how exhausted she was, too. She was about to settle comfortably on her bed when something caught her eye.

With burrowed eyebrows, she gingerly approached her bedside table.

"Oh," she said, two, dark patches forming on her cheeks.

There, placed innocently on the table, was a beautiful flower; a tulip.

She slowly looked from left to right before clutching the tulip gently into her hands. She had smelled it first before scrutinizing it once again. Like the other tulips she saw on top of her grave, it was not bewitched to be everlasting.

A small note was attached to its stem and she slowly pulled it away.

_Crying is a dead giveaway, Granger. Stop it. _

It was not signed, but Merlin, who else could it be? Rolling her eyes, she magicked the flower to be everlasting before hiding it inside her trunk.

A huge grin flitted on her face as soon as she closed the latch. The letter was short and simple but it was so… so… _Draco-like_. Her heart swelled and she had to stop herself from grinning goofily.

Sweet Merlin, she could not believe how lucky she was to have friends like… them. No, scratch that. Teddy, Blaise, and Harry were her _best friends_. Nobody could change that fact anymore.

And Malfoy… well, they finally surpassed the 'acquaintances' stage. She even regarded him as a 'friend' already.

'_No, no,' _she thought, shaking her head vigorously.

She now considered Draco Malfoy as one of her best friends, too…

… _although_, he did not need to know that. He might demand her to stop calling him 'Draco' anymore.

And she did not want that.

* * *

**Review Responses: **

**: **Aww, cooler, really? And yep, this story is somehow _loosely _based on a Korean Drama. The whole concept and plot, though, is mine :) I haven't checked out your story yet; I've been ridiculously busy for the past week because of review classes and all, but I might read some time. Anyway, thank you for reviewing!

**CheshireCat23: **A short review stating what you truly felt for the previous chapter makes me happy XD Thank you for your review!

**NightworldSeeker: **I know right! So, _so _close! Meh, who wouldn't freak out about that scene? Hehe, and the last part? I absolutely enjoyed writing the Dramione part there :D Draco is such a sweetie pie, yeah? Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**SLW-hp fan: **And I'm so happy to be reading all of your reviews again! You have no idea how much I suffered last month. Gah, no internet connection still makes me very queasy. And Oh my geezer! You're a Boston Celtics fan, too? I AM SO PISSED THEY DID NOT WIN *throws a random thing into the wall* Sigh, well, I'll just watch their game during the next Playoffs. So, thanks for your review!

**Jenna Linda: **Sigh, I try my very best to make Draco the sweetest, foul-mouthed jerk that had ever graced on Earth. Haha, irony much? Aww, and poor Hermione. She was SO close. *grins widely* And thank you for saying that this story is _definitely _one of your favorites. That had made my day :D Thank you for reviewing!

**Aussie Panda: **I felt bad for Hermione, too, while writing that part :( I mean, who wouldn't. She had been deprived from her parents for _months_, and to almost _finally _save them was devastating. As for your wish for Hermione to get her parents… well, just stay updated for my future chapters then! And yeah, Draco's such a sweetie pie! Gah, I kept on saying that XD Anyway, thanks for your review!

**semantics: **You have no idea how much I _longed _to update Only a Pretense while I was on vacation last month. I'm as happy as you when I clicked that 'update' button XD And aww *pulls you and Draco into a huge group hug*. Blaise is a bloody Prince Charming, don't you think? Goodness gracious, his sweetness makes me melt, too! And adorable Teddy! And thank you for loving my character portrayals. I try my very best to give them the most suitable personalities and whatnot. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**xodreamerskyes: **Hehe, sorry about the summary. I know it's breaking a law in the fanfiction world, but I must confess that I'm always struggling to think of the right summary for my stories; in short, I suck at writing summaries. And, I am so happy you gave this story a chance. You have no idea how much that fact made me happy *flails arms in excitement* Sorry about that, I'm feeling extra hyper today. Lol, and all four of them marry and live together forever? Polygamy? HAHAH, that made me laugh, but the idea seems cute XD Well, thank you for reviewing!

**flamingbunnies: **All of your reviews makes me happy, too! As for your crying part, I hope they are tears of joy! I'm still working on my next story, but I hope it's promising for you guys *looks at her outline again* I'm so NERVOUS. I have no idea if you all will like it like my other stories. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**Megan Elizabeth York: **Formulating seems like a right word for what you are trying to tell me XD And for someone to tell me that I'm quite 'successful' it putting both Draco and Hermione true to their character while falling in love? WOW, that brightens my day, too! Thank you for your awesome review!

**Isabella120: **I must say that the last chapter is one of my favorites, too :) And I'm so happy I'm updating again! Every Thursday of my vacation makes me want to cry, knowing that I'm supposed to updating and I cannot do a bloody thing about it! Haha, anyway, thanks for your review!

**smileylol: ***sheepishly smiles* Again, I know that it is breaking a rule in the fanfiction world, but I must say that I _suck _at thinking of summaries. *Loud, boisterous alarms ring* SEE! It's a huge no, no for a writer to say whether she sucked in writing summaries or not. AND TEDDY! His discovery of his roommate true gender is nearing, don't worry. You have no choice but to wait *blows raspberry* XD Good lord, your review so LONG and it made me all tingly inside just reading it. Thank you very much for your wonderful review!

**beautifly92: **Aww, I know right? I bet Draco had always been dreaming of getting close to her, huh? Haha, and your review made me happy, too! Make me happier by reviewing this chapter? Lol, thanks for reviewing!

**TooLazytoLogIn: ***Looks at name and laughs* Haha, I feel for you. There are times when I am too lazy to log in, too, and I'm eternally grateful to the authors who accepts anonymous reviews XD ANYWAY, back to your review, thank you! Short but really sweet :D

**fantasia-49: **I love this chapter, too! One of my favorites, if you must know. And the end… whew, thank goodness I was able to pull it off. I was afraid it would be way TOO cheesy for my readers, but I'm glad you like it! Aww, and yes, poor, poor Hermione, but her knight and shining armor – _ahem _– Draco was there to save her! Well, thanks for reviewing!

**bumble-beeoncrack: **Intense, huh? Wait for the future chapters and be prepared for more… um… intensities XD Haha, I also loved the scene when Draco's portrait momentarily distracted Hermione. And the ending! Still makes me turn into a goo every time I read it. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Kathy T: **I know right? Lucky, lucky Hermione, being the object of the attention of the three most gorgeous Slytherins XD "_And I like it even more how only two of them know she's a girl, and how she only knows one of them knows she's a girl." _I loved it when you said that! It cracked me up :D Teddy will very soon discover Hermione's secret, don't worry. I'm just making him suffer a little more. His reactions are always priceless to me, and I can't help but imagine that I'm hugging him tight for just being plain adorable. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**fantacyluvr1: **Teddy's crush on Hermione is adorable, don't you think? And yeah, yeah, fine, Draco's crushing on her is blatantly obvious, too. HAHA. Err… about your question if Blaise has a crush on Hermione, too, did this chapter answer your question? I hope it did *wink, wink* Anyway, thanks for your lovely review!

**Fawzie: **AND YES, I'M BACK! It's good to hear from you again XD Oh, I saw your last review, all right. And really? You read it from the very start again? *glomps Fawzie* HAHA, sorry about that. Haha, Hermione's blissful oblivion makes this fic a little more hilarious, don't you think? Haha, little hints of Dramione in every chapter wouldn't hurt, anyway. I mean, for goodness' sake, this is a DRAMIONE fic! Haha, I love how you're all being high and giddy after reading the last chapter. I hope this chapter made you all giddy, too! Anyway, thanks for your awesome review!

**Reviewer with no Name: **Aww, why didn't you give your username? I would love to hug you just because you named your pet dog, Ferb. *hugs you tightly* Haha, anyway, thanks for your review! I hope that the next time you review, you'll drop a name or at least your username XD

* * *

**A/N: And, done! How was it? Huh, tell me! Tell me! XD **

**Aww, your reviews are as usual lovely, my dear readers, and I'm looking forward to hear from you again :D **

**Anyway, I'm still working on my latest story and so far I've written three chapters – the Epilogue and Chapters One and Two; which is, by the way, a little embarrassing because I had a week to work on it and I was expecting to finish chapters three and four, but that plan seemed a little impossible. You see, I found this IMPOSSIBLY awesome fan fic and that's not the end of it… it's Tom Riddle Jr./Hermione Granger XD Yeah, yeah, Dramione is already impossible, what more if it's Tomione. But the story, good Merlin, it was so unique reading it made me laugh and cry at the same time for just being plain awesome. If anybody is interested, it's entitled "Tied for Last" by Speechwriter. I swear, if you gave Draco/Hermione a chance, then you will not regret reading Tom/Hermione fics. I mean, I've found three awesome fics already and so far, Tomione is my second OTP :D**

**And… does anybody here watch the NBA Playoffs? I am so utterly pissed to know that the Boston Celtics had lost! And they were so damn good in the last season, even though they were in second place. Sigh, oh well, I'll be their fan through and through. **

**So, that's it for now. Again, please do leave a review!**

**With love,  
****Doo-Be Doo-Be Doo-Ba, WICKEDLYAWESOMEME! XD (Sorry, I can't help it)**


	27. Another Side of Draco Malfoy

**Disclaimer: Refer to the previous chapters, please, because WickedlyAwesomeMe is currently too lazy to come up with a creative disclaimer. Thank you :D**

* * *

**A/N: Yup, I'm back. And I'm feeling lazy. Yeah… that's extremely random, but whatever. Well, I'm not going to deprive you anymore. I present to you, Chapter Twenty-Seven of Only a Pretense, and I swear it has a lot of Dramione goodness. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Another Side of Draco Malfoy **

* * *

The scowl she was sporting was so huge and dark, even Teddy seemed terrified.

"Calm down," Blaise assured, although there was also a tinge of fear in his eyes. Hermione would have laughed, if she could. But she was beyond angry she couldn't even crack a small smile. "It's Weasley, what do you expect?"

Upon hearing his name, her anger flared. "I thought Snape favored Slytherins!" she cried, balling her hands into fist. "How… _how could he_?"

"Err… well…" The Italian ruffled his hair and looked at Teddy beseechingly. The carefree Slytherin merely widened his eyes, indicating that he would not say anything in fear of provoking her more. "NOTT!"

"What?" he whispered bitingly, glaring at Blaise. "He's… he's going to kill me!"

Hermione ignored the fearful looks on her friends' faces. All she could focus on about was the fact that she, of all people, was paired to Ron-Freaking-Weasley for the rest of the semester for their Potions project. Not that she loathed Ron. Of course not! He was, after all, her best friend for years. But for Merlin's sake, she wasn't Hermione Granger. She was Hermes Austen, and a Slytherin, no less. And Ron loathed Slytherin bastards (since he was prejudiced and all) especially those who hang-out with the likes of Draco Malfoy.

She actually did not mind at first. Truthfully, she was thrilled. This was a great opportunity for her to interact with Ron and somehow get to see for herself how he was coping with Hermione Granger's 'death'. But the first moment when they sat together, Ron had made sure it would be hell to be partnered with him.

Apparently, he hadn't forgotten about the time when she hexed him for purposely adding a pound of belladonna in Blaise's cauldron, ruining his potion with an explosion. All throughout the period, they had bickered. A part of her heart swelled, missing these moments with Ronald Bilius Weasley. But she was not exactly thrilled to conclude that if they were to bicker incessantly every single time they meet, their potion might fail. She might _fail_. And Hermione Granger hated failing.

Realizing that had brought her to Snape's desk, pleading for him to partner her with another student. But the greasy-haired teacher merely raised his eyebrow and ordered her to go back to her seat and continue taking down notes. It was enough for Hermione to think that maybe, _just maybe_, Severus Snape suspected Hermione of something. Of what? She did not know.

'_All right, Hermione Granger, calm down,' _she told herself. _'This is ridiculous. You've known Ron for years! You, of all people, should know how he acted around people he disliked.' _

It was true, yet, it wasn't comforting at all.

"I'm sorry," she suddenly blurted out, running an exhausted hand across her face. "Shouldn't have blown up like a kid having a tantrum."

She raised an amused eyebrow when both Blaise and Teddy visibly released a sigh of relief.

"S'alright," Teddy lightly commented, nonchalantly swinging an arm around her shoulder. "Your reaction was perfectly understandable." He shivered in disgust. "Merlin, I wouldn't know what to do if _I _was the one who was partnered with the Weasel."

"Not helping," she said in a sing-song voice, throwing a glare into his direction.

The carefree Slytherin merely smiled sheepishly and absentmindedly ruffled his hair.

The three had finally arrived at the Great Hall for lunch. They were welcomed by the delicious aroma of the whole hall and Hermione's stomach softly grumbled.

"Merlin, I'm famished!" she declared, sitting on her usual place in the Slytherin table. She watched in amusement as both Teddy and Blaise wrestled to claim the vacant seat beside her. In the end, Teddy was the victor and he plopped down on the bench, throwing Blaise a triumphant smile. The Italian merely rolled his eyes and sat down opposite Hermione, scowling.

Hermione released a soft chuckle and started to pile food on her plate. Both Teddy and Blaise were being ludicrous as more days passed by. Goodness, she could not believe that even her Italian best friend was starting to grow a bit immature. And Teddy… well, he had always been immature.

Her eyes landed on the empty seat beside Blaise and that was when she noticed that Malfoy was nowhere to be found. "Where's Draco?" she voiced out. Her eyebrows drew together as she looked around the Great Hall. "Isn't he supposed to be here now?"

"He said he had to meet someone. _Urgently_," Blaise said distractedly. "Though, he never told me who he'll meet."

A frown graced her features but brushed it off. Just then, an owl surprisingly swooped down in front of her, narrowly missing Teddy's glorious bowl of chicken soup.

"Filthy bird," Teddy muttered, glaring at the offending owl. The school messenger hooted at him in return and directed his circular eyes at Hermione. He stuck out his right leg and waited for Hermione to untie the small note, which she did. She absentmindedly fed him some crumbs before he flew away back to the Owlery.

"He didn't need a reply," Hermione said, frowning, as she opened the letter.

_Mister Austen,_

_Please meet me in the Headmaster's Office as soon as possible. _

_Professor Dumbledore _

"Who's it from?" Blaise asked, eyeing the parchment suspiciously.

Teddy looked over Hermione's shoulder and frowned. "It's a fairly short note from the old nutcase," he commented, a frown forming on his face. "He's asking Hermes to meet him in his office now."

The brunette rolled her eyes and lightly glared at Teddy. "It's rude to read someone else's letter, Teddy," she scolded. "And please, stop calling the Headmaster as an 'old nutcase'. He's anything but."

"Draco calls him that," he pointed out matter-of-factly.

"Yes, I'm quite aware of that," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "But that doesn't give you the permission to call him that, too, Teddy. Breaking news, not everything Draco Malfoy says is _true_."

He merely grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

Hermione finished her pumpkin juice before standing up and shouldering her back. "You're leaving?" Blaise asked, frowning. "Already? I thought you're hungry. You've barely touched your food."

"Well, Professor Dumbledore asked me to meet him in his office _as soon as possible_," she said, putting an emphasis on the last words. "And besides, I have to come back early. I still haven't finished my Transfiguration essay."

"Hermes, that's due on Friday!" Teddy whined.

She raised an eyebrow and stepped over the bench. "I know, that's why I want to finish it now."

Blaise released a charming chuckle, which prompted Hermione to flash a huge smile. "Later," she waved and then walked out of the Great Hall.

* * *

"Headmaster?"

Draco poked his head inside the office of the said man, a frown marring his handsome face. Upon seeing the aged man behind his desk, he completely opened the door and stepped inside.

"Ah, Mister Malfoy," Dumbledore said, giving him his usual smile. Draco looked away so that he wouldn't see the scowl that formed on his face. "Have a seat, Mister Malfoy."

Once he was comfortably settled on the chair opposite Dumbledore, he looked expectantly at the old man. "Not that I'm being rude, Professor, but… why am I here?" His frown deepened upon feeling his stomach grumbling. _'Damn it all, I'm starving!' _

Dumbledore merely chuckled and waved a dismissive hand. "I'm sorry, my dearest student, but this meeting is extremely urgent," he said. His eyes seemed to twinkle more brightly than before and it had made the blond more curious.

"Urgent, you say? How sir?"

"Well, Mister Malfoy," he started, stacking his messy papers into a clean pile, "I've received a fire-call from St. Mungo's" – the Slytherin's eyes widened in alarm – "_and _do not worry, it is not distressing news, I assure you. But of course, it does concern your mother."

He released a sigh of relief. The alarm in his eyes was replaced by curiosity. "My… mother?" he asked slowly. "What about her?"

Draco was taken aback when the old nutcase offered him the brightest smile he had ever seen since he came crawling into his office and beseeched him to help him and his mother. "Narcissa, to put it simply, is quite well, Mister Malfoy. In actuality, your mother is asking for you."

His heart jumped into his throat. "She's… asking for me?" he asked, almost breathlessly. It was a first. Ever since Narcissa was confined in St. Mungo's, she had never, _ever_, asked to see her son. She was either too delirious or in a comatose to do so. "Why?"

"Ah, that is for you to find out, is it not?" Dumbledore asked, his electric blue eyes shining with mirth. Indeed, seeing his students so happy and relieved had always put the old man into ease. "I am granting you the privilege to leave Hog - ."

"Professor, you wanted to see me?"

Both Draco and Dumbledore looked at the door in surprise, only to see an equally dumbfounded Hermione Granger incognito.

"Oh," she said, frowning in confusion, "I… did not know that you have a meeting with someone, sir. I'll just come ba - ."

"Nonsense, Miss Granger, please come inside and take a seat," the Headmaster said, gesturing at the vacant chair opposite Draco.

Hermione eyed her roommate in curiosity but then followed the Headmaster's order nonetheless.

"Pardon me, Miss Granger, I have completely forgotten that I have a meeting with you. Please, wait for a few moments. My meeting with Mister Malfoy is about to end."

The brunette nodded, her chocolate-brown eyes now landing on the Headmaster. "If you must," she murmured, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious. Draco was blatantly staring at her.

"Mister Malfoy," Dumbledore said, recapturing Draco's attention, "as what I've been saying, I am granting you the privilege to leave Hogwarts and visit your mother in St. Mungo's."

Draco nodded understandingly.

"Visit Mrs. Malfoy?" Hermione butted in, followed by a small gasp.

The blond gave her a withering look. "Yes, nuisance, I'm visiting my mother," Draco confirmed with a slight sneer. "No need to look so surprised. I usually visit my mother, for your information."

"But…" Hermione faltered, growing somber. Of course she knew he usually visited his mother. After all, the effects of those visits to Draco had been tremendous and prominent at the same time. She was afraid he might come back extremely exhausted once again. Or worse… he might probably be sobbing his eyes out once he come back, just like what he did the first time she discovered he had visited his mother.

An idea formulated in her mind and she pushed it desperately into the deepest, darkest recesses of her mind. She already knew what his answer would be to her proposition; it was glaringly predictable. But a niggling voice inside her head encouraged her to try and maybe… Just maybe…

Determined, Hermione looked at the old Headmaster. Was she just imagining it or did a knowing look just flashed into Dumbledore's eyes. _'Oh well,' _she thought, heaving a huge breath, _'The least I can do is to try.' _

"Professor," she started, breaking the silence that had formed in the whole room, "I know this is preposterous but… I want to accompany Draco to St. Mungo's."

"What?"

Widened eyes, slack-jawed, inflamed cheeks… _'See, his reaction is so predictable,' _she thought, allowing herself to quirk up a little smile.

"You heard me right, Malfoy," Hermione said, directing her eyes into his mercurial orbs. "I want to come with you to St. Mungo's."

He sneered. "No bloody way, Granger. You're staying here," he said. "I'm not allowing you to come with me."

She scoffed and crossed her arms. "I'm not asking for your permission. I asked for the Headmaster's." Hermione swiveled her head around and stared expectantly at the older man. "What do you think, Professor Dumbledore? Will you allow me?"

Draco also swiveled his head around and threw a slight glare in his direction. "No," he said through gritted teeth. "I'm the one who is going to St. Mungo's. I'm the one who has the right to say who should and shan't go with me."

The Headmaster stared at his students in plain amusement. A small smile spread on his lips and he calmly entwined his fingers and placed his elbows on top of his desk. "Miss Granger's offer is not exactly bad, Mister Malfoy."

A triumphant smile appeared on Hermione's face, which she carelessly threw into Draco's direction. The blond glared.

"_But_… Mister Malfoy is right. He is the one who is going to St. Mungo's. He has the right to allow anyone to come with him."

It was Draco's turn to look triumphant and Hermione was not exactly thrilled.

"But Professor," she beseeched, averting her eyes away from the annoying blond. "I want to come because… because…" She faltered and stared at her lap, embarrassed. Would she voice out her reason? Draco was also in the room and she had this feeling he would not be very happy once hearing her reason.

"Because what, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore encouraged.

Hermione released a frustrated sigh and stared at the blond. "Let me come with you, Malfoy, please?" she cried. "I've been cooped up in this school ever since summer. I haven't gone out for ages and I'm not exactly the most common figure in the whole Wizarding World, seeing that I'm apparently 'dead'."

"No," Draco firmly said, his eyes hard with finality. "You said it yourself, nuisance. You're not exactly the most common figure in the whole Wizarding World. It might be dangerous for you."

She scowled. "I'm a big boy – girl." A small laugh escaped from her lips. "I can take care of myself."

"Really now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He was remembering the time when he saved her from the grotesque hags and the time when she carelessly fell off her broomstick.

Apparently, she remembered it, too, because a scowl flitted on her face. "Please," she said. "Let me come with you."

"_No_."

"Professor!" Hermione cried, looking at the Headmaster.

Dumbledore merely shrugged. "It's Mister Malfoy's decision, not mine."

Her eyes flared because of obvious frustration. "Ferret, let me come with you," she begged. "Come on."

"Austen, do not let me repeat myself," he growled threateningly. "I will not be swayed by your disgusting pleas. My answer will stay the same. _No_."

"Please, _Draco_," she softly said, peering up at him through her long eyelashes. "Please allow me."

He gulped and looked away. _'Fuck,' _he thought, running a hand through his hair. _'Stop looking so ridiculously adorable, Granger. I'm going to… to… KISS you!" _His pale cheeks were soon splattered with red. "N-no."

Both Hermione and Dumbledore smirked simultaneously. Draco's resolve was slowly crumbling down.

"_Please_," she once again begged, this time almost inaudible. "Please, _Draco_, please."

The blond glared blindingly into the air. He slowly turned his head and stared at the brunette. She, in return, gave him a small, innocent smile. His glare darkened. "Must you be so persistent?" he growled, mentally beating himself for not staying strong and succumbing to the wishes of the witch he had been in love with since freshman year. And damn, should she really address him by his christened name? And countless times, no less?

She smirked triumphantly and leaned a little. "That's Hermione Granger to you, Draco Malfoy," she said. "By now, you should know that already."

"Unfortunately," he said, releasing a defeated sigh. He peered at her hopeful face once again and scowled. "_Fine_." The smile she flashed had practically lit the whole room. "But… on one condition."

Hermione smile faltered. "What condition?" she asked, sounding almost apprehensive.

This time, he flashed his infamous Malfoy smirk. "Remove your disguise," he plainly said. "Be Hermione Granger for a day… though, wear that magical spectacles of yours. Then, you can come with me."

By the look on her face, she was not exactly delighted with his condition. "Why?" she asked. "You perfectly told me it is dangerous for me to gallivant around. Removing my disguise makes me all the more vulnerable."

"Again, you can wear the magical spectacles of yours," he said.

Hermione looked at Dumbledore, expecting him to disagree with Draco, but was surprised to see a pleased smile on his face. "It is not exactly a bad idea, Miss Granger," he said. "After all, you are wearing your bewitched glasses. People will not recognize you if you are to grace their presence."

"But…"

"If you disagree, then forget about accompanying me to St. Mungo's," Draco piped in.

Hermione gave him a contemptuous look before releasing a small sigh. "Fine," she spat in defeat.

"Very well," the Headmaster said, clapping his hands in finality. "I'm only giving you twenty minutes to change into your clothes, Miss Granger. Most students are still probably in the Great Hall, eating their lunch."

The brunette stood up, followed by Draco.

"Oh," she said, turning around, "what about the… urgent meeting you wanted to have with me."

Dumbledore gave her a reassuring smile. "That can wait," he said. He then gestured them out of his office. "Go now, before the bell rings. Do make haste. I am going to alert your next teachers that you might probably arrive late for the afternoon classes."

"Thank you, Professor," the Slytherin blond said, inclining his head in thanks.

"You are most welcome, Mister Malfoy," he said.

Draco nodded and ushered Hermione out of the room. Once they were completely out of the room, Dumbledore allowed himself to smile brightly.

"I think, my dearest Fawkes," the Headmaster said, directing his eyes to his beloved pet, "that Miss Granger's task will be more… interesting now."

The phoenix made a distinctive sound of agreement.

* * *

"I do not know what possessed you to suddenly volunteer to accompany me, nuisance," Draco gruffly said, talking to Hermione outside the bathroom. Once they went back from the Headmaster's Office, she bolted into the bathroom to change. She hadn't come out ever since. "I prefer to go alone, if you must know."

"Really now?" he heard her say, voice slightly muffled. "Say that to me once again without grimacing, Malfoy, as if you've eaten something rotten."

The grimace on his face disappeared, replaced by a surprised expression on his face. "How did you know?" he demanded, staring at the bathroom door in shock.

He was met by silence at first then, "That's for me to know and you to find out, Malfoy."

His scowl came back full force and crossed his arms against his chest. "Move faster," he growled. "You have five minutes left."

A loud gasp escaped from inside, followed by a few, muffled curses. Despite his frustration, Draco smirked. Hermione rarely cursed before and now that she seemed to say them without flinching anymore made him so proud. Apparently, Slytherin influences had really rubbed off into her.

His musings were cut short once the door flew open, revealing a slightly flustered Hermione Granger. It took all of his willpower not to gawk at the brunette. Merlin help him, but she looked… _presentable_.

'_Biggest understatement of your whole life, Draco Malfoy,' _a voice inside his head mocked him as he absentmindedly stepped aside to allow her some room. _'Good Salazar, the girl is __**gorgeous**__.' _

"Shut up," he growled.

"I'm sorry?" she asked, tucking a stray hand behind her ear.

He shook his head and gestured her out. "Come on," he said, voice a little panicky. "Lunch is almost end - " His voice faltered as his eyes settled on her curls. She was using the butterfly hairclip he had given to her as his Christmas gift.

"What?" she asked, absentmindedly pushing up her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

He shifted his eyes away from her and blushed. He had been right in thinking that the hair accessory would look good on her. "Nothing," he excused. "Come on."

"Wai - ."

"No more time, Granger," he said through clenched teeth. He absentmindedly grabbed her wrist and started to pull her out of their room. "Slytherins might arrive soon."

"No! WAIT!" she cried as he successfully pulled her out of their room and down a few flight of stairs. "My wa - ."

"No time!" he repeated, distinctively hearing a few voices from the opposite hallway. "They're coming."

He dragged her as fast as he could towards the Headmaster's Office, oblivious to the fact that he was still holding her hand in the process.

Hermione pointedly noticed it but kept her mouth shut.

Merlin forbid her but his hand felt… nice. And warm.

A blush crept on both of her cheeks and she had to stop herself from grinning like a silly fool.

She did not want him to let go of her hand.

And good lord, he did not need to know that.

* * *

"I will never get used to Flooing," Draco snarled as soon as he stepped off the fireplace and brushed off ashes that unfortunately landed on his immaculate jumper.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his melodrama but chose to be silent. Instead, her eyes roamed around St. Mungo's and instantly, her nose scrunched up in disgust. She had always hated hospitals, Muggle or Wizarding. Their disgustingly clean smell had always turned her stomach and she had to take a few steady breaths to alleviate her nausea.

"And I will never get used to hospitals," Hermione said, following the blond as he started to approach the reception area. "Merlin, it's reeking here."

"_Exactly_!" Draco cried, looking at her over his shoulder. A look of disgust was also seen on his face. "I do not know how the Healers can stand the smell."

"Mister Malfoy!" the Welcome Witch, Ellen Stone, suddenly exclaimed. Draco's head snapped to the elderly witch and smiled.

"Mrs. Stone," he politely greeted. She flashed him her usual smile.

"I'm assuming you're here to see your mother, eh?" she asked. "I heard she's… doing quite well. If not brilliantly, but still well."

He only nodded his head for his reply.

Just then, Mrs. Stone noticed the unnamed brunette hiding slightly behind the blond, her wide, brown eyes behind spectacles staring at her a tad shyly. Surprise clearly settled on the elderly woman's face as she stared back at Draco. "You brought a… lady?"

The Slytherin blond frowned at her reaction and shrugged. "Stubborn woman, I tell you, Mrs. Stone," he commented. "Wouldn't back down when I clearly told her she couldn't come."

"I said I wanted to accompany you," Hermione interjected, scowling in return.

"I said I prefer to visit her alone," he grumbled back.

Then, "I said that the next time you utter those words to me, do not grimace like you've eaten something rotten."

"And I say it's the perfect time to visit Mrs. Malfoy, don't you think?" she said, cutting off their bickering. Mrs. Stone looked from the blond to brunette and an amused smile settle on her face. She couldn't help it. After all, the bickering two looked _ridiculously _adorable.

Draco colored for a bit before clearing his throat. "Of course," he said. "Thank you, Mrs. Stone."

"Always a pleasure, my dear boy," she commented back. "Although, I must say that you look perfectly… radiant today."

His eyebrows creased together. "I don't understand," he said.

The Welcome Witch shot Hermione a meaningful look, which had entirely baffled the brunette. "Never mind the hopeless romantic, Draco dear, just go," she said, ushering him out of her sight.

"O-kay…" he said, eyeing the elder witch with mixed concern and confusion. He then turned to the brunette and glared. "Stick with me, nuisance. I don't want you losing your way."

"Who are you calling nui - ." Hermione closed her eyes and counted from one to ten. She told herself again and again that Draco Malfoy was here to visit his mother and he was probably feeling apprehensive. Being extra cranky was perfectly excusable.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she looked at Mrs. Stone. "It's nice meeting you," she said pleasantly, complete with a pretty smile.

"The pleasure is all mine," she said.

"Let's go," Draco piped in, grabbing her elbow and directing her away from the reception area. "I'll see you later, Mrs. Stone."

"Likewise," the elderly woman said, giving both of them a wave of her hand. "And a word of advice, my dear lass – take care of the boy."

A look of confusion settled on Hermione's face but nodded nonetheless.

As soon as both of them were out of earshot, the elderly woman placed a hand against her chest and sighed. "Ah, young love."

* * *

"Stop fidgeting, Draco," Hermione lightly reprimanded, an amused glint in her eyes.

The said blond scowled at the brunette. "I'm not fidgeting," he said, toying nervously with his collar. Hermione pointedly stared at his collar and his scowl darkened, letting his hand fall limply back at his side.

"And you were saying?" she innocently asked, stepping out of the moving staircase and continued to follow Draco.

He threw her a half-hearted glare before continuing their small journey.

They were on the fourth floor of St. Mungo's, the floor where patients suffering from some spell damages were currently residing. She remembered being here before, together with Harry and Ron. She remembered coming across with an Obliviated Gilderoy Lockhart (_'I can't believe I used to fancy that fraud'_) and of course, Neville Longbottom's parents, Frank and Alice Longbottom.

The two had finally reached a secluded area somewhere on the floor, with a small, rusting plaque saying 'Dark Curses'. The signage looked foreboding Hermione had to look away.

'_Narcissa Malfoy had really been hit by a dark curse, huh?' _she thought, furtively glancing at the blond standing a few inches in front of her.

That was when she noticed the obvious change in Draco's demeanor. His jaw seemed tightly clenched, his shoulders a little tensed. His back was ramrod straight; Hermione bet that if she were to place a ruler at his back, it would be perfectly straight. And his hands kept on clenching and unclenching.

Seeing him like that was so… unnerving.

"Relax," she meekly offered as he finally stopped in front of a door. "Everything will be all right."

Some old him came back as he stared at her, eyebrow raised in amusement. "I do appreciate your assurance, Austen. But keep it to yourself. It's not helpful," he said.

Instead of being affronted, a small frown marred her face. "I'm just trying to be… supportive," she said.

He searched her eyes for a few moments before sighing. And then, to her surprise, he cracked a grin. "To tell you the truth, I lied back there. I think it isn't bad at all for you to tag along, eh?" he said, eyes returning back to stare at the door. "I think I do need some moral support."

Hermione's heart swelled for the blond and she tried her best not to grab and hug him so tightly. Seriously, he looked like he needed a hug for comfort.

She shook her head when Draco gingerly grabbed for the doorknob and turned it, opening the door of his mother.

He stepped inside and she slowly followed. A gasp escaped from her lips upon seeing Narcissa Malfoy, sitting silently on a chair next to the window as she stared unblinkingly outside. The last time she had seen the said woman was during the Quidditch World Cup and ever since that day, she used to think that the Malfoy matriarch possessed such an awe-inspiring beauty. And now, seeing her so sickly and vulnerable… she chanced a glance at Draco and swallowed. She did wonder how he could cope with it.

"Mother," he said, breaking the silence within the room. The broken, yet still beautiful woman slowly turned her head around to stare at the newcomers. Hermione pointedly noticed that her beautiful blue eyes seemed almost… empty. But upon seeing her son, they seemed to light up in joy.

"Draco, my son," she said, making a move to stand up.

The blond was immediately beside Narcissa. Hermione's jaw slightly opened in shock. He moved like the speed of light.

"Don't exert too much effort, Mother," the blond said, his tone surprisingly gentle. "You know it's not good for your health."

Her soft, melodious chuckle rang all throughout the room. Hermione actually felt goosebumps growing on her arms as Draco assisted his mother back to her bed.

"It's good to see you, love," Narcissa said, kissing Draco's forehead as he gingerly tucked her mother into her bed. "How have you been?"

"I'm perfectly fine," he whispered back, giving her his infamous Draco smile.

Hermione had to look away, overwhelmed with the scene unraveling in front of her. She felt like she was intruding. This was, after all, a sweet reunion between mother and son. She made a move to leave (_'Draco wouldn't mind'_) but was then stopped by Narcissa's voice.

"Oh, how rude, darling," Narcissa said in a reprimanding tone as she stared disapprovingly at her son. "Introduce me to this young lady."

The brunette slightly blushed as she stared back at Draco, who seemed to suddenly remember he had company.

"Mother, she's…" His forehead scrunched up in worry. "… Minnie."

Her breath hitched in her throat and looked away. _'Minnie? How did he…?' _Tears clouded in her eyes but she forced them away before looking back at Narcissa and giving her a small smile. "Mrs. Malfoy, it's a pleasure to meet you," she said, inclining her head in greeting.

Narcissa seemed surprised and looked back at Draco, confused. "Minnie, you say?" she asked.

"Yes, Mother," he said. His mercurial orbs were glued intently on Hermione and she swore a mischievous glint flashed through his eyes. "And she's my… girlfriend."

_Huh?_

Hermione blinked, five times to be exact, before releasing a huge breath. "G-girlfriend?" she sputtered out, embarrassed that her cheeks colored. She clearly did not expect such… introductions from Draco Malfoy, no less.

"You okay, sweetheart, you seemed flustered?" A teasing grin flitted on Draco's face and she had to glare. The glare instantly vanished from her eyes as soon as Narcissa looked at her, amusement evident on her tired face.

"I'm perfectly fine, _darling_." Her nose scrunched up in disgust for a bit. "But I think it's best for me to leave the two of you alone for a bit."

"Nonsense, Minnie, dear," Narcissa said, ushering her closer. Hermione gingerly obliged and was soon standing a few meters away from the older witch's bed. "I've finally met the girl that had captured my son's heart." The brunette blushed and shyly tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

"Oh Draco, I should be awake more often!" Mrs. Malfoy cried, looking at her son. "A lot of things had happened while I'm cooped up in this room."

"Mother, you need to rest," Draco said, brushing her fringes away from her almost-clammy forehead. "The Healers said they've finally found the cure for the dark curse Lucius had placed upon you but still, you need to rest."

Her eyes momentarily darkened in pain.

"Lucius," she said, voice slightly cracking. "How is he, my son?"

Hermione was taken aback by the sudden animosity that appeared on Draco's face. "Never mind about him, Mother," he said. "There are more pressing matters than speaking about that sad excuse of a - ."

"Draco," Narcissa said gently, almost warningly.

The blond closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry," he said.

"He's still your father," she said, cupping his cheek into her hands and gently rubbing it. "He's still your father, don't forget that."

"A f-father," he blubbered out, his cheeks inflaming once again in fury, "does not hurt his wife."

The pain settled once again in Narcissa's face and she had to look away. Her heart broke into two for the mother and son and unknowing tears once again gathered at the corner of her eyes.

'_No, you must be strong, Hermione,' _she scolded herself. _'Don't be silly.' _

She was saved when the room suddenly opened, admitting a middle-aged Healer, complete with the usual lime-colored Healer robes and a clipboard clutched tightly in his hand.

"Mister Malfoy," Healer Watson said, inclining his head for greeting. "It's been a while."

Draco inclined his head. "My sincerest apologies, Healer Watson," he said earnestly. "I don't know what had possessed me to act so… rashly the last time we had seen each other. But I am hoping that you'll forgive me."

The Healer sighed and fixed his skewed glasses. "Your actions were perfectly excusable, Mister Malfoy. You do not need to apologize," he said.

Draco offered him a small smile before returning back beside Narcissa.

"How are you feeling, Mrs. Malfoy?" Healer Watson asked, retrieving a quill from his pocket.

"Splendid, Charlie," Narcissa said, with a small smile on her face. "Although, I must say I've been feeling a little tired these past few days."

"Don't worry, fatigue is one of the side-effects of the potions we are giving you," Healer Watson assured her whilst writing furiously on his clipboard. He looked up then stared straight into Draco's eyes. "And I'm sorry but the patient needs to rest now, Mister Malfoy. I'm afraid you and" – his eyes landed on Hermione for the first time – "your companion need to depart now."

A rueful sigh escaped from Draco's lips but he nodded nonetheless. "I understand," he said, turning back to look at his mother. He gave her a kiss on her forehead and whispered a soft, "Goodbye, Mother. I'll be seeing you as soon as I can."

Narcissa smiled and before Draco could even completely pull away from her, she gave him a butterfly kiss on his cheek. "I do love you, my son. Please remember that," she said.

Hermione's eyes momentarily widened upon seeing that affectionate gesture Draco had given to her during Christmas. Her hand shot up to the place where he sweetly fluttered his eyebrows and blushed. She swore that her heartbeat was almost audible for all of the occupants to hear.

The mother and son seemed oblivious to Hermione's sudden drastic change in behavior. Instead, Draco gave Narcissa a lingering kiss on her forehead before muttering, "Me too, Mother. Me too," He brushed off the fringes from her face and helped her lie down on her bed. He then turned to Healer Watson and offered him a polite smile. "I'll be leaving her under your care, Healer Watson."

"I'll do my best," he said.

The blond then turned to Hermione, who had been silent the whole interaction, and gestured her to follow him out of the room. He was completely gone when Narcissa suddenly grabbed her arm and gently asked her to lean down slightly.

"Take care of my son," she whispered.

Hermione blushed darkly and nodded her head vigorously, not wanting to disappoint the woman. "Yes, yes I will, Mrs. Malfoy," she said.

A beautiful smile appeared on her face. "Please, Narcissa is fine."

The brunette smiled back. "Goodbye… Narcissa."

"I'll be seeing you soon, my dear," she said.

Hermione nodded her head before completely walking out of the room.

* * *

The Slytherin in disguise blatantly stared at his back as he stepped on the moving staircase, oblivious to his roommate's sudden attention.

Hermione reckoned that once again, Draco Malfoy had revealed another side of him to her. She did not know whether he knew it or not but she, being Hermione Granger, had been keeping records.

For the past few months, she had at least seen five surprising sides of the blond, whether he unknowingly or knowingly showed it. And now, his interaction with Narcissa Malfoy had triggered another side of him to manifest and to be obvious to Hermione's scrutinizing gaze.

She thought that by far, this side of him was her absolute favorite. _Hands down_. This side of him almost seemed… dreamlike. Hermione had to blink her eyes countless times to convince herself that here she was, walking with Draco Malfoy in St. Mungo's.

A secret smile appeared on her face and she gingerly tucked a stray curl behind her ear. His son-mode had been _outrageously_ adorable. He had acted like a truly loving son upon seeing his mother doing well after months and months of seeing her lying almost lifelessly on the bed. He had been tensed before his meeting, yes, but the change in him was so drastic upon seeing Narcissa Malfoy radiantly smile just for him.

Hermione fondly remembered the times when she would be home for holidays. A huge spark of love would happen every time she would see her parents in King's Cross, waiting for their daughter to come home for Christmas. And once she saw them smile and hug her tightly as their way of greeting, the love would spread from her head to toe.

"You're walking too slowly for my own liking, Austen," Draco suddenly commented, breaking her off from her musings.

The brunette, distracted, merely blinked her eyes at him, still processing what he just said.

Intrigued, Draco slightly inclined his head and stared at her. "Is something the matter? You seemed awfully quiet after meeting my mother," he asked.

Hermione merely shrugged and continued walking, overtaking the blond so that he wouldn't see the blush that surprisingly appeared on her cheeks.

"You're limping," he pointed out, which completely halted her from walking.

"Ten points for Slytherin for suddenly noticing, Draco Malfoy," she sarcastically spat. Now that he had pointed it out, her feet had been absolutely killing her for hours. She glared threateningly at the shoes Harry had given to her for Christmas and made a mental note to give the Gryffindor a piece of her mind.

"You do realize that you're a so-called witch and you have a so-called wand, don't you?" he asked, amused.

Hermione rolled her eyes and placed both of her hands against her waist. "I know I can do that, Malfoy," she snarled. "But apparently, some ferret out there had been so eager to go to St. Mungo's and ignored my pleas to stop just so I could retrieve my wand from the loo."

Instead of being irritated, he merely quirked a little smirk. "No need to be so cheeky, sweetheart," he said, his smirk changing into a teasing smile. "Go sit down and let me help you with that."

Her mind caught the word 'sweetheart' and she darkly glared, but followed his command, nonetheless. She sat on a nearby bench and watched as he slowly knelt down in front of her, his teasing smile still present on his face. His actions made her more infuriated.

"You know," she started through clenched teeth, "I've been thinking, Draco Malfoy. What had _bloody _possessed you to introduce me as… as… _such_? And to your mother, no less!"

"Because," he said, brandishing out his wand, "you had been insufferable for the whole day, especially in the old nutcase's office. And so, for revenge, I wanted to see you embarrassed. And sweet Merlin, Granger, you should have seen your face!"

A few chuckles escaped from his lips as he absentmindedly removed both of her high-heeled shoes and gently placed them on the floor.

Hermione mimicked his chuckles, seeming to grow more annoyed. This just made him laugh harder and shakily produce band-aids out of thin air.

"You are enjoying this, aren't you?" she asked, peering down at him through her spectacles.

"Oh yes, Granger, I absolutely am."

The brunette made a disgruntled noise at the back her throat. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that in public?" she asked, looking from left to right to make sure that nobody was eavesdropping.

"Relax, nobody would care, _Granger_," he said, opening a band aid.

She hissed.

An innocent smile graced his handsome face as he stared squarely into her eyes. "You prefer to be called 'sweetheart' by me?" she asked.

Affronted, her cheeks inflamed. Whether it was because of embarrassment or fury or both, he did not know. "MALFOY?" she whispered furiously.

He chuckled once again as he gently placed the bandages on the blisters on her feet. "No need to get so fussy, nuisance," he lightly commented.

To his surprise, her glare mellowed. "There, that's better," she said.

Draco raised an eyebrow in amusement. "I've been awfully calling you that for ages now. I bet it's getting old," he exclaimed with a sigh, standing up from his kneeling position before plopping down beside her on the bench. "See, you're not being annoyed by it anymore!"

Hermione merely chuckled and shook her head, her soft curls bouncing lightly against her shoulder. This simple movement of hers had mesmerized Draco and it took him a great effort to look away so that he would not be tempted to run his hand through her hair.

Silence then ensued and Hermione took that as an opportunity to wear her shoes once again. As soon as she comfortably settled back on her seat, a huge realization came into her mind.

"We've missed all the afternoon classes," she blurted out in a gasp. "Oh no, Professor Flaxworth promised to teach us a new lesson today!"

"That's so typical of you, Austen," he said, his lips curling up into an almost smile. "Can't you think of anything but studies right now?"

She sighed, absentmindedly tucking a stray curl behind her ear. "Eh, hospitals drive me insane, you know," she said. "Ugh, Merlin, the smell is so _nauseating_. The only thing that keeps me sane right now is by recalling all of the basic numbers in Ancient Runes in my head."

He chuckled and stared at his shuffling feet. Why did the air around them suddenly turn a little… uncomfortable? Silence had passed between them for minutes and it was the brunette who broke it.

"Draco?"

His head perked up and stared at her, a little wide-eyed. He still wasn't used to be called by his first name by the brunette. "Yeah?" he asked, slightly distracted.

"You okay?" she asked, slightly narrowing her eyes to scrutinize him.

He looked away from her eyes and stared blankly at the wall opposite the two of them. "Yeah," he said.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely." And he meant it. That sudden realization had caught him completely off-guard. He was so used to visiting his mother and returning back to Hogwarts, exhausted and almost hopeless. Sure, his mother had looked better than the last time he had visited her. Hell, she looked way better compared to the time when he and Dumbledore rushed her to St. Mungo's.

But maybe he was not so tired and miserable today because…

He chanced a glance at Hermione and finally allowed himself to smile genuinely. Goodness, they had gone really far now, hadn't they? He still couldn't believe that here he was now, sitting beside Hermione Granger, the same girl he had been hopelessly in love with for ages, as she stared at him, eyes slightly shining with unadulterated worry.

His heart swelled and his smile grew.

Indeed, he had never felt this… light and happy ever since the start of the school-year.

"Nuisance?" he said, averting his eyes back to the opposite wall.

"What is it, Malfoy?" she asked, mimicking his action and was now also staring at the opposite wall.

"Thank you."

Her head whipped around so fast Draco swore he heard her neck crick. "Did you just…"

He slowly turned to her and glared. "Yes, yes, and don't you dare make me repeat it." A gorgeous smile flitted on her face. "And don't get used to it, Austen. Hearing those words from me will be extremely rare from now on."

She chuckled and tucked another stray curl behind her ear. "You're welcome, Malfoy," she said, averting her gaze back to the wall.

His glare disappeared, replaced by a small smile. "You want to know something else, Granger?" he asked.

She sighed in exhaustion, wanting to reprimand him for carelessly calling her _that _name again but was too tired to repeat it once again. "What is it?"

"I don't want to really go here alone today," he said.

He had heard her gasp in surprise, but he did not dare look at her.

Silence had settled between the two after Draco's confession. It was Hermione who broke it yet again. "I… guess you should be thankful I'm stubborn then, eh?" she asked, slight humor in her voice.

Draco chuckled and nodded. "I guess you're right," he said.

"Draco?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm glad I accompanied you today," she said. "I mean it. I really do."

He slowly turned his head to look squarely into her eyes. He smiled, showing off his adorable dimple, then said, "Me too, Hermione. Me too."

She gave him the biggest, most beautiful smile she could ever muster to him. She looked absolutely happy. She looked absolutely _breathtaking_.

He couldn't help it if he fell in love with her more that day.

* * *

**Review Responses: **

**deator11: **Yay! So you're a Tomione fan, too? "Tied for Last" was extremely good. All the adjectives in the dictionary could not describe how awesome it was, right? Aww, and thank you! I try to make my own "Teddy Nott" as adorable as possible :D Oh, and don't worry. Hermione's secret will be revealed soon. Very, _very _soon. Haha, thank you for reviewing!

**eoz16: **They'll found out soon, don't worry. And I'm somehow nervous how people will react with her roommates' reactions after finding out that Hermes is really Hermione Granger. And _thank _you for giving my story a chance. I know, I know. The first few chapters were not really THAT good, yeah? But I think the story keeps on getting better and better as the story progresses. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**bbyebiebercozoftattoo****: **Eh, don't worry. I was actually lol-ing in front of my computer after coming up with Hermione's lame excuse. Haha, and Draco's letter… well, it was so much like him, right? But I'm so thankful that someone out there got "kilig" after reading it. I was actually hoping that some would, despite Draco's obvious arrogance XD Yeah, poor Blaise. Wait 'til I posted THAT chapter. EEP, no spoilers! Haha, anyway, thanks for the review!

**smileylol: **Oh, I'll be continuing this 'til the end XD The point of the last chapter was for them to really comfort Hermione in their own special ways :) I mean, ways that are _so _like them. And, aww! *hugs you tightly* You've read it thrice again? Now, I'm really feeling extra special. Haha, anyway, thanks for your review!

**CheshireCat23: **If ending up with the three of them was possible, then I would have gladly done that before. I'm not really planning to get THAT attached with Blaise and Teddy. I mean, this is Dramione! And I was planning to just get focused with their budding romance. In the end, I made their other roommates likeable, even I felt _really _bad when I finally made Draco and Hermione together. Sigh, anyway, that's fanfic to you! Thanks for reviewing!

**Isabella120: **This chapter has more Dramione moments. What did you think? I mean, this chapter's quite sweet for the two of the, don't you agree? Draco's such a sweetie pie, although still a bloody bastard. And Hermione's so oblivious as ever XD Aww, and thank you for saying this story's your _absolute favorite. _That made my day! Thank for reviewing!

**NinaFelton229: **You noticed, huh? I _adore _Phineas and Ferb and it's all thanks to my little brother. And, you can't blame me for staying in a place where internet's not available and all I could do was watch TV. Haha, but seriously, I love the cartoon, it's almost hilarious, seeing that I'm turning seventeen soon. Anyway, I love the Tulip Scene, too. GAH, Draco Malfoy sometimes does things that are so ridiculously adorable; I just want to hug him (hehehe) Oh, and don't worry, Teddy will know about Hermione's secret _very, very _soon. Hahaha, thanks for your review!

**beautifly92****: **Aww, you did make me happy by reviewing and saying that you liked the previous chapter! I KNOW RIGHT? I mean, I do love my friends and all, but I think life would be way cooler if I'm friends with people like Teddy, Blaise, and Harry XD And Hermione loves Draco? Wow, really (evil grin) Well, err… no comment XD Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**NightworldSeeker: **It feels so good inside to see that Hermione's greatly cared for, no? And Teddy, ever adorable Teddy… what can I say? Just saying his name makes go all "aww… he's so adorable". HAHAHA, anyway, thanks for your review!

**Aussie Panda: **Eep! I love pandas. Lol, now that was just random. Err… um, well, I think our favorite brunette is starting to realize things now, huh? As for Teddy's and Blaise's reaction if Hermione finally revealed her secret to them (I mean, officially to Blaise), you'll find out very, very soon :D Thanks for reviewing!

**miaspotter: **Sigh, Hermione's one lucky, lucky girl. It's really great to have friends like the three Slytherins and Harry! And of course, to be the object of the affection of the three gorgeous Slytherins. Aww, and thank you! I try my best to make it a good drama and formulate good conflicts. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**onehighpeanut: **Haha, yeah. Hermione's one evil, _evil _witch just for being plain clueless when her roommates were being blatantly with their feelings. Aww, and Teddy. Don't worry, he'll know very, _very _soon and I cannot wait to see how people will react. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**bumble-beeoncrack: **Sigh, Hermione did deserve everything that her best friends did to her. Haha, and I can see you all smiley while reading the previous chapter. It made me smile, too XD Ooh, you're the umpteenth reviewer who voiced out her curiosity over Blaise and Teddy's (oh especially the latter) reaction once they find out that Hermes is actually Hermione Granger. Again, they'll know soon *wink* *wink* Thanks for your great review!

**B.S: ***blushes furiously* You know, comparing my story with the Harry Potter series makes me so _damn _flattered. Haha, sorry I cursed back there. BUT SERIOUSLY XD My goodness, a review full of compliments makes me feel so… so… _you know_. LOL, I mean, it's good to see that typing these stories and spending grueling hours in front of the computer, even during the ungodly hours of the morning and night, is not put into waste. I'm _immensely _happy that people like you appreciate what I do. Oh darn… now, you're making me sob. Sigh, as for being a professional writer… I'm not really _that _sure. I mean, writing is my passion, but I'm not planning to take up a course of being a writer in college. But, nothing's impossible. XD So yeah, thank you for that (_tear-jerking_) review!

**allthatfangjazz: **You mean the disclaimer of the previous chapter? Eep, nope, sorry XD It's actually from "Phineas and Ferb". I mean, the part where Perry the Platypus' theme song plays every time he's on a mission. Gah, I just love Perry 3 Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**Sweet(dot)Night(dot)Lock: **HAHAHAHA, sorry about those (dot) things. is acting strange right now and doesn't want me to properly write your name... so yeah. So... on to your review; Aww, Teddy and Hermione would be _extremely _adorable. But then again, this is Dramione. *resurrects you* DON'T DIE! HAHAHA, aww, a heartbroken Teddy? Oh, you have no idea… _now_, I'm getting ahead of myself. Sorry, honey, no spoilers for you :D Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**SLW-hp fan: **Haha, yeah, Draco is such a sweetie pie, yeah? I would love it if he's _actually _real. XD AND HELL YEAH, LET'S GO CELTICS! I'm still a little sore with Miami Heat for beating them *rolls eyes* I mean, come on, they were darn good during the playoffs last year. Sigh, but I'll always be a Celtics fan, through and through. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**fantasia-49: **Haha, they're all good friends, right? And yes, even though _all _of them wanted more. Well, of course, excluding Harry because he got Ginny. But still XD Sigh, what's with you guys and giving compliments easily. You're making me blush so furiously! Haha, forgive me. I'm just a little flushed because of your constant praising. So, anyway, thanks for your review!

**SpontaneousQuack: ***looks at name* What an adorable username XD Ha, anyway, I adore "Phineas and Ferb". I think it's one of the greatest cartoons Disney had ever made. Well, the classics were still wonderful, but "P and F" is just plain awesome. Aww, and dressed up as them for Halloween? That's so cute :D And yay! A Celtics fan! Don't worry, since they're not in the playoffs now, I'm rooting for the Bulls, too XD They're my second fave (yay, Derek Rose!) Aww, I feel bad for Teddy, too. And Blaise… well, he has reasons :) Anyway, thanks for your review!

**semantics: **AND YES, when I saw my email, I was like "YAY, THEY REVIEWED!" Haha, I can imagine both of us having the same reactions every time we look at our emails and see what we wanted to see XD And once again, I would like to thank you for the compliment. I mean, I try my best to make my characters the best they could be. So, thank you for reviewing!

**contusions – stigmata: **I. KNOW. RIGHT? Oh my gosh, I'm still furious at Dwayne Wade for being the cause of Rondo's elbow injury. And Rondo's one of my favorite Celtics player! Gah, I'm still annoyed that the Heat had beaten them. *blushes* Yup, I still watch "Phineas and Ferb" even though I'll be turning seventeen – almost legal XD Aww, and your little cousins watch awesome cartoons. Haha, anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**Nocturnal Rose: **Well, here's the next chapter. What did you think? Especially because it's so full of Dramione moments? Haha, tell me XD Thanks for reviewing!

**flamingbunnies: **Hmm… I haven't really thought about that. But I imagine that Harry will be all scowls and claim that the Slytherins are really trying to steal his best friend away. You know Harry… what a darling XD As for my new story, I am still _not _willing to try a new pair; hence, it's still Dramione. I mean, I read other pairings besides Dramione, but I don't trust myself to write a story besides that pair. Maybe some time… I'm not sure. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**for heavens sake: **Well, I guess the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover" is actually true, huh? Well, in this case, don't judge a story by its summary. I know, I know. Even I am not appealed by my summary *rolls eyes* But I can't think of anything now. And yes, I know Ouran. In fact, I _adore _that anime. What if they make a live action of that manga… Now, now, I'm getting side-tracked again. Anyway, thanks for reviewing and giving my story a chance! I do appreciate it :D

**Really Cinderella: **Aww, that's awesome. One of your favorite top three? Well, did this chapter of my made it at least one of your top two? OH, BAH, now I'm being conceited. XD I'm sorry, I'm just toying around. Haha, anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**Fawzie: **Yep, little bits of Dramione never hurt. BUT, this chapter how so much of Dramione moments now, huh? I bet you were jumping up and down for joy XD Meh, and I try to make Draco in character as much as possible; hence, his "so like him" letter. And Teddy? Well, he'll find out soon, don't worry; thus, you'll be able to read his reaction *laughs maniacally* Haha, yeah, and Hermione's one cruel, cruel girl for taking advantage of their friendship when she just quote go around breaking people's hearts unquote. Oh, and this is Dramione. Of course Draco will be SO MUCH MORE to Hermione in the future XD Pssh, I reply to everyone. Your reviews make me feel special; hence, I try my very best to make my readers feel special, too XD P.S. WHOA, I was planning to do that, too! Well, if I'm busy, then I might just read the whole DH book again before watching the movie. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**OotoriDreams: **Yay! You made yourself known. Now, I can properly thank you :D Anyway, oh wow, you've got some guts! Haha, I can't afford to read fanfictions in school in fear of getting scolded. You know school *rolls eyes* They actually have a way of detecting sites that are forbidden, and annoyingly, is a forbidden site. Oh, and good luck? I think I still need it, so thanks. Haha, anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**elf girl: **Oh, I'll be updating every Thursday, don't worry. Well, it actually depends on my mood. Pray that I'll be extremely happy so I can update earlier than the schedule XD Haha, anyway, thanks for your review!

* * *

**A/N: Eep, it's done! How do you like it, huh? Tell me in your reviews. **

**Speaking of reviews, oh my shizzlegums (err… what? XD), twenty-nine reviews for the previous chapter? You've got to be kidding me! *dances a happy jig* Aww, I want to glomp each and every one of you 'til water is discovered in Mars XD **

**Haha, eh, sorry. I'm feeling a little light-headed because it's so darn hot in here. I swear, I'm tempted to dump huge blocks of ice in this mini kiddy pool we have and just stay there. FOREVER… which then would give me hypothermia. Which, sucks. DAMN.**

**O-KAY, enough of my gibberish. So, what did you really think of this chapter? It's full of Dramione and good Merlin Almighty! Draco's such an adorable thing, I want to bloody kiss him. **

**Anyway, back to the story. I've noticed a lot of you had been asking when Teddy will know that Hermes is really Hermione Granger and he's really crushing on a **_**girl**_**. Well, my answer to that is very, **_**very **_**soon. Ooh, I'm so excited. *reads future chapters and then sobs* Oh, but **_**it **_**will be soon, too. What is it? Aww, too bad, I hate spoiling people. Just wait for my updates, okay? **

**So, that's about it for now. Again, drop a review and make me happy :D **

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe**


	28. Find Hermione Granger

**Disclaimer: *checks herself in the mirror* OMG, I'm JK Rowling! And now I can hear police sirens outside my window… fine, fine I'll drop the pretense XD **

**So, if you still do not get it after putting this damn thing for **_**twenty-eight **_**chapters already, then you must be mental. **

**I'm WickedlyAwesomeMe!**

* * *

**A/N: Here's chapter twenty-eight, and I swear it's the chapter you've all been waiting for. *grins widely* So, no more spoiling you. Just read it! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Find Hermione Granger**

* * *

"No, I think the Draught of Living Death is better, Weasley," Hermione said for the umpteenth time, tiredly rubbing her face with her hand.

The Gryffindor glared, stubbornly crossing his arms across his chest. "Well, I say we go for my idea of brewing _Felix Felicis_." His face was hard with determination the brunette in disguise found herself scowling darkly as she continued to stare at him, frustrated.

"Felix Felicis will be finished after _six months_," she emphasized through gritted teeth, restraining herself. "And we need to finish a potion before the end of terms, which is _five _months from now. Do the math, Weasley, and tell me if we will be able to pass it on the due date. First years will immediately get what I'm trying to say."

Ron's baby blue eyes visibly darkened with rage. "What are you trying to insinuate, Austen?" he growled dangerously.

Instead of flinching, Hermione lifted up her chin in defiance. "Think whatever you want to think," she stated confidently. "Brewing the Draught of Living Death will be done a month before the due date. We will still be able to make a report about it. This potion can actually pull up your grades, Weasley. Stop complaining."

"Why you little - ."

"Ten points from Gryffindor," Severus Snape suddenly snarled, sidling up beside Ron.

The said Weasley turned into a terrible shade of red. "What for?" he scowled.

"Ten more for questioning my judgment."

"But - ."

"Five more, Weasley," the Potions Master sneered, his eyes glinting dangerously.

"I didn't - ."

"Twenty more points from Gryffindor, Mister Weasley, and detention."

Ron was seething so badly now. He was about to retort something back but numerous glares from his Gryffindor Housemates had shut him up. Loosing a total of forty-five points for one single period was absolutely enough for now.

Embarrassed and furious at the same time (but mostly enraged), the Gryffindor merely satisfied himself by tightly clutching his quill to the point of almost breaking it.

Hermione, on the other hand, looked gratefully at Snape as he swept back to the front of the room, his black robe billowing with every stride. She hated his favoritism but right now, she did not give a damn. As long as Ronald Bilius Weasley kept silent for the remaining period, all might end well.

She placed her hand on the parchment on the table and smoothed its creases. She dipped the tip of her quill on the ink bottle and wrote with great care the words 'Draught of Living Death'.

The look Ron had shot her was so murderous; she had to keep on repeating to herself that he was her best friend, _is _her best friend, and as much as he infuriated her, she had to remember that she loved him still.

"Pass your outputs," Snape suddenly said to the whole class.

There was a great shuffling as some students stood up from their stools and one-by-one placed their parchments on top of the teachers' table. Hermione lethargically trudged towards Snape's desk whilst rubbing an itching eye and was able to unceremoniously bump against Harry.

"Watch it, Austen," the Gryffindor hissed. When Hermione raised an eyebrow at him, he inconspicuously offered her an apologetic smile. He was apologizing for Ron's bastardly behavior today.

Hermione merely rolled her eyes and went back to her desk. Ron was nowhere to be found now and she just sighed and shouldered her bag, marching out of the dungeons without a glance back.

* * *

Draco carefully scrutinized the brunette eating distractedly across from him. She was acting a bit… _odd _for his own liking and he couldn't shake off this inkling feeling that she was hiding a deep and dark secret from him and their other roommates.

Hermione had been awfully quiet and fidgety for two weeks now. Her strange demeanor had started the day after they visited his mother in St. Mungo's. At first, he thought it was merely exhaustion she was showing. After all, she had been awfully spending a lot of time in the library for two weeks. She even barely touched her food, like now.

"You're not eating," Blaise pointed out, voicing out Draco's observation.

She looked like she hadn't heard the Italian, which had made the blond frown more.

"Hermes?" Blaise repeated.

Once again, she hadn't heard it at all.

Frustrated, Malfoy leaned a little closer to the table and poked the her neck.

She gasped, stifling a shriek, as she whipped her head around and glared at Draco. "What was that for?" she asked, absentmindedly rubbing her neck.

Draco rolled his eyes and leaned back on the bench, crossing his arms and merely raising an eyebrow. Hermione's eyes narrowed at his strange demeanor, which made her glare darker.

"Are you all right?" Teddy asked from beside her, lightly touching her arm to get her attention.

Her glare mellowed as she looked at the carefree Slytherin, concern clearly etched on his handsome face. Guilt bubbled at the pit of her stomach and she immediately looked away, not wanting him to see the new emotion on her face.

"I'm fine," she said. Draco raised an eyebrow at her obvious discomfort.

"Fine, you say," he voiced out. Hermione's head snapped into his direction and he coolly met her brown eyes. "Nuisance, eat."

She blinked back countless times, surprised at his sudden order. "I'm… eating," she said, lamely gesturing at her plate. Her cheeks inflamed upon seeing that her words were contradictory to what she had seen. "Err… maybe a little."

"Are you hiding something?" Draco lightly accused, narrowing his eyes, scrutinizing. "You're awfully squirmy the whole week, Austen."

Hermione mentally cursed in her head and broke their eye contact. _'Stupid Malfoy, too perceptive for his own good,' _she grumbled inside. She tried to look nonchalant as she ran a hand through her hair, meeting his silvery orbs once again. "Nothing," she said. "There's nothing to hide."

'_How ironic,' _she thought, trying in vain to conceal the smirk growing on her face, _'I've been hiding about my true identity ever since.' _

"You can tell us what's bothering you, you know," kind Blaise said. Hermione turned her head around to stare apologetically at him.

"Nothing's bothering me, guys, I swear," she said. "I'm not hiding anything. What gave you that idea?"

Draco was about to retort something back but Teddy had beaten him. "Okay, if you say so," the carefree Slytherin blurted out, giving the blond a glare that clearly told him to shut up. "We're not going to force you to say anything you do not want to say."

The Malfoy heir merely rolled his eyes and went back to eating his lunch and chose to be silent and surly for the rest of the meal.

Hermione warily glanced at the blond's scowling form and absentmindedly toyed with her food once again. Malfoy was not mistaken; she _was _hiding a secret, excluding the fact that she was Hermione Granger.

Something stirred in her heart after seeing Draco with Narcissa on the day that they visited his sickly mother. She had tried in vain to brush it off, knowing that if she finally succumbed to its wishes, the fiasco that had happened between her and Rookwood might have happened again.

But remembering him with his mother had made her realize that she missed her parents. Of course she did miss them. So much, in fact. But the longing for her parents' love had increased a hundred-fold as soon as Narcissa Malfoy gave her son a butterfly kiss on his cheek.

And so, she only did one thing she could think of that time – _plan_. She sought the sanctuary of her beloved Hogwarts library and poured her whole free time over all the books she deemed useful for her mission. She had taken note of everything she discovered. She also listed down numerous strategies in a notebook that was kept inside the hidden compartment of her trunk. She could already predict Malfoy's reaction if he had seen her muggle notebook; she was so sure he would not talk to her for a full month, even more.

Their training this coming Saturday would be the last day of her observations. She would make sure that everything she had planned for two, grueling weeks would happen smoothly. She would make sure that she would not encounter any Death Eaters on duty. She would also take note of the possible scenarios that would happen if ever she was caught or worse… _killed_.

Oh no, Draco could not know of the plan brewing in her head and written in precise details on her notebook. She knew he would do everything… anything just so she wouldn't act on it and most probably put herself in a very dangerous situation. A silent treatment from him for months seemed disheartening. After all, they were actually friends now. But knowing that her parents were in danger of one day being killed? Draco's silent treatment seemed more promising than the latter.

Her mind snapped back into the present when Teddy lightly touched her elbow.

Confused, she looked up at him.

"The bell just rang," he said, now standing up beside her.

True enough, when the brunette looked around the Great Hall, the students were quickly piling out of the room. She could see Blaise waiting patiently on the side. Draco… she could not see him anymore.

With a sigh, she stood up from her bench and followed Teddy and Blaise out of the Great Hall to their next afternoon class.

* * *

"Draco?"

"What?" The blond looked up from his Potions textbook to stare at his Italian best friend.

Blaise rolled onto his side so that he would be able to clearly see Draco. "Do you have this… feeling that Hermes is hiding something?"

Draco released a noncommittal sound behind his throat.

"Draco, I'm serious," he said, slowly sitting up from his bed. "I'm worried."

With a sigh, the blond closed his Potions book and stared squarely into Blaise's eyes. "Don't be, you're wasting your time," he said. Then, "He's a nuisance, what do you expect? He's a primary cause of a huge headache. I won't be surprised if the Draught of Living Death he's going to brew with the Weasel will blow up."

Blaise frowned and looked at his hands. "I don't want anything to happen to him, you know," he said.

His tone was laced with something else; it had completely caught Draco off-guard. His lips pursed into a firm line and his brows met together.

Blaise couldn't be…?

Before he could dwell deeper into his weird presumption, his best friend stood up from his bed and told him he was off to the kitchen to have a nice, hot cup of tea.

Draco shook his head as soon as he was gone. _'No, he couldn't be.' _

* * *

"Draco?"

"Bugger off, Nott."

"Drrrraaaacoooo!" the carefree Slytherin whined, forcing Draco to irritably let go of his Charms book and place it with a dull thud on the library table.

"WHAT?" he thundered, which was followed by a loud hushing tone from Madam Pince.

Teddy pouted and sighed, placing his chin on his folded hands on the table. "I have a problem."

He rolled his eyes. "Wow, really now?" he spat back sarcastically.

His best friend was unfazed by Draco's irritation. Instead, he released yet another sigh. His head fell down into his arms and he released an almost inaudible groan. "I can't shake off this feeling that something's wrong with Hermes."

"Not you too," Draco growled.

He lifted his head and stared at his best friend, surprised. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Blaise was worrying over the nuisance, too," he said. "Like what I've told Zabini, worrying over Austen is a waste of time."

Instead of being affronted, Teddy merely raised an eyebrow. "Well, aren't you?" he asked.

The blond blanched. "E-excuse me?" he asked.

Teddy rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Explain your sudden cold shoulder towards our roommate, Draco," he expounded. "What's with the bitter attitude? It's so obvious that you grew upset when he did not tell us about a secret that he is _obviously _keeping."

Unable to think of anything to say or do, Draco glared. "He's a nuisance. What do you expect from him?" he asked.

"Oh, admit it," he said, "he was finally able to squeeze his little self into that miniscule heart of yours. He might be annoying at times, yes, but he's a good… friend. Isn't he?"

Malfoy scoffed and rolled his eyes at the ridiculous grin that had spread over the carefree Slytherin's face. Of course he suspected about the sudden… _feelings _Teddy had over Hermes Austen in disguise. It was glaringly obvious, in fact. Those secret, coveted glances. How he fought unwaveringly just to claim the empty seat beside the brunette. How he went goggly-eyed when he was complimented by the nuisance. How he went all green-eyed when she continued to get letters from secret admirers…

It was comical, to say the least. Seeing Teddy so smitten was so ridiculous, especially if the objection of his affection was a guy.

But then again, Hermes Austen was not a guy. He was Hermione Granger incognito. Draco wondered how Teddy would react if he discovered that the guy he had been unconsciously pining was actually a girl and a gorgeous one, in fact.

Paling, he shook his head to get rid of rubbishes from his mind.

Thankfully, the school bell rang, signaling for the impending curfew. Without any word, he stood up, gathered his things and went back to the Slytherin common room, Teddy in tow.

* * *

"Draco?"

Silence.

With a sigh, Hermione fully walked inside their room, eyes firmly glued to the Malfoy heir sitting silently on his bed, nose buried behind his Transfiguration book.

"Come on, Malfoy, you can't forever be mad at me," she said, sitting down on Teddy's bed directly opposite Draco's.

"What, are we back to last names now?" he snapped.

The brunette made an angry noise at the back of her throat. "Can you please close that blasted book of yours and look at me?" she asked exasperatingly.

Draco angrily growled under his breath but followed her order, nonetheless. He begrudgingly stared at her across from him and noticed the worry all over her face. His anger mellowed, but he did not dare show it.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"But I can't tell you every single thing about me, do you understand that?" she asked.

He harrumphed, affronted. "For your information, nuisance, I am not interested in your deepest, darkest secret," he snarled.

To his surprise, she flashed a little smile. "Really now?" she asked. "Does that mean you won't be angry with me for not telling you about something I'm hiding?"

His eyes narrowed. "What are you _hiding_?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you just tell me that you're not interested with my deepest, darkest secret?" She laughed when his cheeks colored. "Nope, I can't tell you right now. I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"

He released an exhausted sigh, which made Hermione smile, before hiding his face once again behind his textbook. "Go paint the whole school red with Potter and bugger off, Granger."

She smiled, despite the fact that he called her by her real last name.

She was forgiven now.

"Okay," she said, a tad enthusiastically. Behind his book, Draco scowled. "But Malfoy… before I leave, I have one random question."

"Do make haste, I'm studying, you know."

If he was looking at her right now, he would be able to see how her smile drastically wavered. "Only… females are allowed to visit my parents' room in your manor, right?"

His book snapped shut and he stared at her, nonplussed. By now, Hermione had worn her guard again and merely smiled. "Yes," he carefully answered, watching for any weird behavior from the former Gryffindor. There were none.

"Okay."

"Why?"

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Why are you asking weird questions suddenly?" he asked.

Something flashed in her eyes. Draco's confusion grew. "Nothing," she plainly said. "Just making sure."

Before he could further question her, she bounded out of the room.

* * *

"Where are you going?" Draco demanded as Hermione stood up from their study table.

Both Teddy and Blaise looked up at Hermione in surprise and confusion mixed together.

She coolly looked from one roommate to another before showing off a small smile. "I was called earlier to our… meeting," she said. By the word 'meeting', she meant the Death Eater trainings.

"Already?" Blaise asked, looking at his watch. "It's only eight o'clock in the evening. What can possibly be urgent for you to arrive there… two hours earlier?"

She sighed, feigning curiosity whilst running a hand through her hair nonchalantly. "I actually do not have any idea," she said. "Last meeting day, I was asked by one dea… um… senior of ours to arrive earlier than the precise meeting time."

"Do you want me to accompany you?" Teddy asked, making a move to stand up but Hermione shook her head. "It's dangerous!" he whined.

Hermione hummed softly then smiled. "I'm a big boy," she said, shouldering her back. "I can take care of myself."

"Keep saying that to yourself," Draco snidely said.

The brunette glared then rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I'll be late," she said. "I really have to go. I'll see you later then."

"Be careful," Teddy called out as soon as Hermione jogged out of their vision.

* * *

As soon as Hermione arrived at the West Wing of the Malfoy Manor, she released a huge sigh of relief. She had been holding her breath ever since she apparated in front of the Victorian manor. Thankfully, it was too early for the Death Eater meetings. Some Death Eaters were present already, although they were either in the drawing room with Voldemort or patrolling the East Wing.

She had been careful upon entering the manor. Like Hogwarts, it was surrounded by magical barriers, which she was able to penetrate after weeks of researching in the library. It was fairly easy, after all. Despite the barriers being of dark magic, it was less powerful than the almost impenetrable Hogwarts' barriers. Also, having the Dark Mark on her left arm was an advantage for her. She knew from eavesdropping that one powerful trap would only be triggered if people not associated with Voldemort broke through the barriers.

And so, here she was now, walking as noiselessly as possible in one of the abandoned corridors of the Malfoy Manor…

'_Dressed as a girl,' _she mused, failing to hide an amused smile that was growing on her face.

After planning and planning, she came up of a strategy of removing her disguise as Hermes Austen. But of course, since Hermione Granger was supposed to be dead, she donned her bewitched glasses just as a precautionary measure. Being Hermione Granger would probably be dangerous, especially because a few meters away was Voldemort himself. But if she put her plan into action as Hermes Austen, there would be a huge chance that Rookwood would appear once again and upon remembering her face, would not hesitantly drag her to the Dark Lord. And besides, the only people who were allowed to enter her parents' room were _females_. It would be less suspicious if a random Death Eater patrolling the corridor would see a _girl _opening the room of the Grangers.

Slightly shivering, she wrapped her red cardigan tighter around her form. She mentally berated herself for forgetting her Death Eater mask and robes on her bed. The robes, although foreboding, gave her warmth and comfort, which was absolutely ironic, since she had to wear it to identify herself as a Death Eater, a supposedly cold and heartless being.

She was finally in the corridor where the portraits of the numerous Malfoy family members were currently residing. As soon as she stepped in, a loud hush rang all throughout the room, although most were indistinguishable. Hermione guessed it was probably because they had never seen her before.

Alarmed, she whipped out her wand. Although the portraits were perfectly harmless, she was still apprehensive. She was thankful that the beings inside could not move from one portrait to another; she had read it somewhere that once they went inside their portraits, they could not move out. Therefore, they could not alarm other portraits if there were mysterious people roaming around. Hermione never really understood why, but she guessed it was probably because they could probably run away or the likes.

Hermione arrived at the very last end of the corridor with Draco's immobile portrait hanging innocently against the wall. To her dismay, she could not help but look at his handsome form. Just like the first time she saw his portrait, the first thing she noticed was his smile and his dimple.

Her hand unconsciously shot up to the butterfly hairclip, which was given to her by the blond for his Christmas gift. She never really knew why she suddenly thought of clipping her hair with the said clip, but she just did. And she was somehow thankful for it. Just feeling it with her fingers gave her some minuscule comfort.

With a blush, she looked away and scowled. _'Damn Malfoy for making me distracted again,' _she cursed inside. _'Focus, Hermione. __**Focus**__. This will probably be your last time in this manor.' _

She took a deep breath and continued her journey. The Slytherin retrieved her hand-drawn map from her pocket and checked it for the last time.

After memorizing each and every corridor, room, hidden traps, etc…, she pocketed her map and nodded in conviction.

Finally, she arrived in front of the bookshelf hiding the door that would lead to her parents.

Hermione halted in front, raised her wand, and with a determined stare, she started to remove the magical barriers one-by-one.

* * *

"I think he was lying."

"Drop it, Blaise."

"You think he's lying too, don't you?"

"Well…"

"Nott…"

"I guess. Oh Merlin, he _was _lying!"

"See, I told you!"

Draco rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time and finally closed his hardbound book with a loud 'bang'. Teddy jumped an inch or two and Blaise almost fell off from his seat in surprise. "SHUT UP, BOTH OF YOU!" he hollered, glaring at his two best friends.

The carefree Slytherin whimpered under his breath and Blaise sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Someone is trying to study here, you know," Draco pointed out after taking in a few calming breaths. With a tired sigh, he looked at his watch and gathered his things. "Come on; forget about the nuisance for a moment, will you? The… 'meeting' is about to start. We'll see whether he'd injured himself or not."

The other Slytherins followed his lead and gathered their books placed messily on their study table before standing up. They towed behind Draco as he climbed up the stairs in their common room.

Finally, they arrived in their room and started preparing for their Death Eater training.

Blaise, who was the closest to Hermione's bed, chanced a glance at the brunette's bed. To his surprise, her Death Eater robe and mask were placed neatly on top of it.

"Hey," he said, "Hermes… forgot his Death Eater attire."

Draco's head shot up from his trunk. "What?"

"His things," the Italian repeated, "he left them."

"Oh no," Teddy gasped in alarm. "The Malfoy Manor is abnormally cold! He might be freezing to death now!" He scrambled towards her bed and scooped up her robes and mask into his arms. "Come on, we should make haste."

"Really, Nott," Draco said, slowly striding towards the brunette's bed. "The nuisance is not that stupid, you know. He could produce a warming spell if he wanted, too."

His eyebrows knitted together as he stared at Hermione's Death Eater attire. _'Strange,' _he mused. _'Granger is rarely forgetful.' _

The blond's eyes landed on her bedside table and noticed that her drawer was slightly ajar. Curious, he slowly opened her drawer only to see that the butterfly hairclip he gave her was missing. She always kept it inside; he knew because he had checked it four or five times to find a spare quill.

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he fell down into fours and groped for her Disillusioned high-heeled shoes that were given to her by Potter for his Christmas gift. It was, after all, her only pair of female shoes. He had probably guessed that if she were to keep numerous of them, it would be downright suspicious.

"Draco?"

'_Shit,' _he thought, eyes widening in alarm. He muttered a soft _'Finite Incantatem' _but still, her shoes did not materialized.

Apprehension started to grow at the pit of his stomach. Her shoes were also missing.

"What's wrong?" Blaise asked, noticing the panic that was shown clearly on Draco's face.

"Draco, mate, are you all right?" the carefree Slytherin asked. "You're… paling."

Draco looked frantically under her bed, her bedcovers, her pillow, etc… He ignored his roommates' inquisitions. He was too preoccupied in looking for her missing hairclip and shoes.

'_She can't be,' _he said. _'Damn her. __**DAMN HER**__!'_

He tried to assure himself that what he was thinking was merely a probability. There was still no proof. What if she merely misplaced them? Or… or house-elves who usually cleaned their room had kept them in a safer place?

But then, one recent memory came rushing into his mind.

"_But Malfoy… before I leave, I have one random question…"_

He closed his eyes, suddenly feeling sick.

"_Only… females are allowed to visit my parents' room in your manor, right?"_

Draco's eyes snapped open upon feeling Teddy's hands tightly clutching his left arm.

"Snap out of it!" he cried, alarmed. "Draco, what the hell is happening to you?"

His eyes stared deeply into Teddy's eyes, then to Blaise's. "Hermes is in grave danger," he blubbered out quickly, his cheeks now inflaming in unadulterated fury.

Teddy staggered back in his sudden outburst. "How did you…?"

"I have no time to explain, Theo," he snarled back. "We have more pressing matters to think of. We… we have to immediately go to the manor. That… _**that reckless nuisance**__!" _

"Draco, calm down," Blaise said, getting more alarmed by the crazed look on Draco's face.

"Calm down. CALM DOWN? I…" He closed his eyes once again to calm himself down. "We have to leave now. NOW!"

Both Teddy and Blaise immediately scrambled to their respective beds to retrieve their Death Eater robes and masks.

They kept up with Draco as he ran out of their room. The other new Death Eaters were still nowhere to be found, seeing it was an hour earlier than their supposed meeting time.

Draco ignored his best friends who were trailing behind him. All he could think of was Hermione Granger and her bloody stupidity.

'_Die and I'll resurrect you and kill you again,' _he thought in his head, a wave of helplessness washing over his form. Sure she had her wand with her but still… but still…

'_What if?' _he asked.

He pushed those thoughts aside as soon as they emerged out of Hogwarts. They rushed to Hogsmeade, apparated to Diagon Alley, and then ran to Knockturn Alley. As soon as they were in front of the Malfoy Manor, they were out of breath.

"D-draco," Teddy panted, placing both of his hands on his knees. "What… what the hell? Stop, please."

The panicked Slytherin was panting, too, as he opened the gates of his childhood house and rushed inside. "We can't waste time," he said in one breath. "Hermes is in danger."

"What are you saying?" Blaise hollered. "Draco, what the hell is going on?"

Draco whipped around. Blaise and Teddy took a step back, astonished with the raw emotions running through his face. His mercurial orbs were dark with worry, of anger, of something more…

"Hermes Austen is in danger," he repeated, his tone ice cold. "And I have no time to explain just… just…"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, his eyes were as hard as steel.

"Find Hermione Granger."

* * *

She finally did it.

She finally removed all the magical barriers guarding her parents' room.

After months and months of waiting and researching and resting and all, she was finally able to be a doorknob away from her parents.

Surprisingly, her plan had gone pretty smoothly. Nobody had ever seen here there. Or if ever someone was able to, they probably thought she was just the female-on-duty. She was positively thankful for thinking of removing her disguise and coming here as Hermione Granger.

So now, here she was, mere meters from her ultimate goal. Emotions overwhelmed her being and she had to try hard to restrain herself from sobbing hysterically. She could not afford to be all weepy now that she was close to success. No, she had to focus with her task.

And so, taking a deep breath, she reached for the doorknob. As soon as her hand settled on the cool material, she released an involuntary shiver.

"This is it," she mumbled to herself.

Hermione twisted the doorknob and was about to push it open when…

"OI!"

She closed her eyes and cursed. _'Not again!' _she wailed inside.

When she whipped her head around, she was surprised to see Macnair staring at her with his ugly, scarred face. "Is there a problem?" she asked as calmly as possible.

"The Dark Lord perfectly told us not to visit their room for a week, didn't you hear him?" the Death Eater said, taking a few steps closer to the brunette.

Out of instincts, she slightly cowered back in fear. "I-I forgot," she stammered. She cleared her throat and forced herself to look nonchalant and stand tall and confident. "My apologies. I will be returning now."

She was about to scuffle away when his hand shot to her arms. She released an astonished gasp as he stared at Macnair's scrutinizing eyes.

"Hey, are you new?" he asked, raking his eyes from her head to toe. She felt suddenly self-conscious. "I haven't seen you before, lassie."

"I-I was recruited two days before," she said, pulling her arm away. She took a few steps back just to get away from the creepy Death Eater. To her dismay, he cautiously took a few steps toward her.

"You look familiar, lassie," he commented, narrowing his eyes. "Have I seen you before?"

'_Don't panic,' _she firmly told herself. _'Do not freakin' panic, Hermione Granger, you hear me?' _"N-no, I swear. I was recruited two days ago." She took two more steps back only to have her breath knocked off from her lungs as she crashed hard against something. When she turned around to look at what she'd bumped into, two arms wrapped firmly wrapped around her waist, trapping her.

"Macnair."

She gasped, recognizing Blaise's voice. Indeed, when she looked up into his face, she saw her Italian best friend. He was not looking at her. Instead, his eyes were firmly glued on the older Death Eater.

"Young Zabini, what brings you here?"

Hermione peeped over Blaise's shoulder and almost fainted right into his arms. There were both Draco and Teddy, standing a few meters away from Blaise with expressions that greatly varied from each other. Draco had this murderous look on his face; she was driven to look away. Teddy, on the other hand, was so pallid in surprise. She couldn't help but to look away, too. Not wanting to look at any of them further, she chose to bury her eyes in Blaise's shoulder once again.

"I'm sorry," Blaise continued as Macnair cautiously approached the two of them, "I've totally forgotten to tell my girlfriend that I have Death Eater trainings tonight."

The brunette internally groaned. _'What's with these guys these days? Claiming to be my boyfriend,' _she thought.

"Girlfriend, you say," Macnair said in surprised. "A new one, perhaps?"

"Indeed."

"Ah, a lovely flower, she is," the Death Eater commented. Hermione felt his arms tighten more around her. "But then, she claims to be the female-on-duty. She said she was recruited two days ago."

"That is true," Blaise said.

"But I haven't seen the lass before," Macnair said. "Not ever."

"She used to live in Hampshire before receiving her Hogwarts letter. Of course she is new here," the Italian shot back. "She's an Austen, heard of them? One of the purest, most powerful Pureblood families of all times."

"Really now?"

"She supports the Dark Lord with all of her heart," Blaise said in a rush. Hermione even noticed that he had to say it through gritted teeth. "She knew I work for him. And she supports my decision whole-heartedly. I forgot to tell her that I have training for him today."

"I see," Macnair said. Hermione could hear the surprise in his voice. She even suspected a hint of slight suspicion.

"She plans to be a Death Eater next year," Blaise continued.

"Oh." That did it. Hermione did not have to look at Macnair to see that he completely bought Blaise's lie. "Well then, it is nice to meet your lovely girlfriend."

Hermione stiffened when Macnair nonchalantly patted her shoulder.

"Well then, make haste," Macnair said. "Your trainings are about to start. We do not want to disappoint our Dark Lord now, do we?"

"About that," Draco said, talking for the first time that night, "we cannot join the Death Eater trainings today. Dumbledore had called us to have a meeting with us today and he couldn't take no for an answer. We cannot afford to make our Headmaster suspicious of us."

Hermione wasn't able to see Macnair's expression but she was sure it was nowhere near pleasant.

"I see," the Death Eater said after moments of silence. "I will inform the Dark Lord. Now, off you go, young ones."

She bit her lip when Blaise none-too-gently grasped both of her arms and strode away. They both passed Draco and Teddy but Hermione did not dare look at their way, afraid of the reactions that might be present on their faces.

She distinctively heard their footsteps as she and Blaise emerged out of the Malfoy Manor. Before she could completely disapparate, she chanced a glance at the blond behind her.

Hermione soon wished she hadn't because if looks could kill, she would probably be really buried on her fake grave now.

With a sigh, she followed Blaise as he disappeared with a pop and apparated back to Hogwarts.

* * *

**Review Responses (Anonymous and Others): **

**Nocturnal Rose: **Well, you did not review anonymously but for some strange reason, the site is denying me from responding to your review. They're saying that you've blocked the "private messaging" blah. Haha, okay, whatever. Back to my story… Well, _thank you _that you are loving my story so far. Now that this chapter is posted, what do you think? So, thanks for reviewing!

**victwi: **You're not an anonymous reviewer, either, but again, you've blocked the PM feature so… I'm replying my review to you here :D _For starters_, your review is insanely long... AND I LOVE IT! Haha, aww, you read for three hours? But it's good to see that it was worth it *blushes* Darn, now I'm blushing again. Eep, sorry, it's not yet done. There are more than ten chapters left, just so you know. Ooh, and "Hana Kimi". I've watched the live-actions and I loved them, too! Well, this story is not really based on that manga, but whatever XD As for Hermione hugging Blaise… *grins evilly* We'll see. And aww, yeah, I've been making her hug Teddy. But I'm biased, because I think Teddy is adorable XD And thank you about the glasses charm. I just invented it. Good to see that most think it was a clever idea XD And gah, must you really praise me that much? *glomps you* Haha, well, I'm not really a fan of rushed love stories, too. I want to make it _nice _and _slow_ until they become… err… physical. Sex scenes, though, make me a little queasy :D ANYWAY, thanks for your ridiculously long yet adorable and awesome review!

**Fawzie: **Hehe, I absolutely adored the last chapter! And to see that all of my reviewers voiced out their adoration, too… squee! XD Well, I don't really mind if you read it later, as long as you read it *wink* *wink* And of course, review it *nudge* *nudge* Haha, anyway, thanks for your review!

**Meg: **Haha, I at first thought you did not leave a name. But, anyway… Aww, I also loved this side of Draco. I think he would be sweet son to Narcissa. Or maybe he had been sweet all along, JK Rowling just did not want to focus on that. And who cares for deep and profound reviews? As long as my reviewers say that they love my story, then that makes me happy already! Don't pressure yourself to say meaningful reviews :p And, I like Dramione stories wherein the authors really build up their relationship. I agree, it would be more realistic if they just "don't jump into each other's pants* And goodness, writing lemons and smuts would be very awkward to me… seeing that I've never even kissed a boy XD Haha, and Teddy and Blaise's constant squabbles are cute. Because of Herms, even Blaise is turning immature. Aww, talk about his love for the brunette XD Oh, and I always update on Thursdays. No excuses. So, yeah, no need to worry. Anyway, thanks for your awesome review!

**supbrawh: **Thank you for commenting my writing. I really try my best to make it the best as much as possible. And *blushes* yup, I agree with you. I think I have this fond habit of overusing "the brunette" and the likes. Haha, do you have any suggestions? Anyway, thanks for your review!

**CrayolaBox16: **Sigh, another reader who disabled the PM feature *blows raspberry* Haha, kidding XD Anyway… aww, I adored the Dramione moments in the previous chapter, too! And Hermione's always stubborn, what do you expect? It's just hilarious if she showcased it to Draco, who is equally stubborn himself XD But since he's secretly in love with her for years… he had no choice but to succumb to her wishes, huh? *blushes* One of the best writers, huh? I still have a lot to learn regarding the English language, seeing the I'm Filipino. If you just saw my English scores… Haha, so, anyway, thanks for reviewing!

* * *

**A/N: And, done! What did you think :p Aww, Teddy already knows. Their reaction, especially the adorable Nott's, will be revealed next chapter. I mean, this chapter's a little cliffie, eh? So, review!**

**And, now you've noticed that I sent most of you review replies through PM. I just realized that the "side bar is deceiving" (AHEM, you know who you are) if I posted all of my responses to your reviews. As you can see, I tend to ramble nonsense just to let you know that I'm happy for your reviews XD So, I hope that you received them. If not, then I just wasted half of my day writing my thank yous to everybody *glares warningly at the site* :)**

**I'm feeling extra "in love" today, even though I'm still boyfriend-less all because of this ADORABLE Asian movie I watched with my sister two nights ago (and my golly, the main actor was so DAMN gorgeous) XD I mean, as opposed to the Hollywood style love stories, this one was so ridiculously sweet and innocent. I mean, no offense to Hollywood scriptwriters and directors out there, but most of the love stories we see in film are basically like this: "Oh my god, I love you already. Now fuck me." HAHA, right? Right? *wink* *wink* But this movie I saw was SO sweet and their tagline was SO true: It's based on the true story of everyone. I mean, hello, who still haven't had their first love…. Oh right, me! But I'm still young. He'll arrive someday. But you can't blame me for being impatient already XD **

… **and once again, I'm blabbering. GOSH, I must stop this habit XD **

**I'll end it here now. Again, review my beloved readers! Make me happy :D **

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe**


	29. Secret Revealed

**Disclaimer: I'm born as WickedlyAwesomeMe. Get over it :D Therefore, I'm not JK Rowling and I do not own the Harry Potter series!**

* * *

**A/N: So… here's Chapter Twenty-Nine of Only a Pretense. I'm pretty sure it's the much-awaited chapter of most of you *wink* *wink* Surprised that I updated earlier than usual, huh? Well, it's because I love you all and if I could give out hugs and kisses, then I would XD**

**Just a quick explanation, by the way. In the previous chapter, Hermione was wearing her bewitched glasses; hence Macnair did not recognize her. Blaise and Teddy were not also supposed to recognize her, but remember the condition for the glasses to work, right? They must know who they were looking at to clearly see the disguised person. Therefore, when Draco told them "Find Hermione Granger", then, they fully recognized her despite the glasses? Savvy? :D**

**So, without further ado, I present the twenty-ninth chapter of Only a Pretense. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Secret Revealed**

* * *

The corridor was eerily silent as the four Slytherins trudged back to their rooms. It was not surprising, actually. After all, it was nearing midnight and the patrollers were probably roaming around the whole school. The other three never knew that because of Hermione's privilege, they would never get caught.

Speaking of the brunette, she was unfocusedly staring at her feet as Blaise guided her through the dark corridor, a protective arm wrapped tightly around her waist. For safety reasons, she had donned her Death Eater robe with the hood pulled really low down her head just so she would not be recognized. But then again, the corridor was vacant; nobody would be able to see and _feel _the thick tension surrounding the four seventh years.

Hermione felt sicker as they neared the Slytherin common room. She could not believe her luck. First, it was Rookwood and now it was bloody Macnair. She could have just turned the doorknob and pushed the door open to reveal her parents whom she had been longing for months now.

Unwanted tears gathered at the corner of her eyes and she willed them away. She hated feeling like this; helpless and ultimately guilty. And now, her other two roommates knew that Hermione Granger was actually alive! Oh, she could already imagine their reactions once they arrived at their room, away from prying eyes and eavesdropping ears.

"You…" she rasped out, finally managing to talk. Her voice, albeit extremely soft, rang loudly around the whole empty hall. She flinched and then, "You… you shouldn't have followed. I was… I was almost close."

Unsurprisingly, it was Draco who reacted first.

A loud scoff escaped from his lips and Hermione could feel his mercurial orbs burning holes into her robes. "Shouldn't have followed?" he roared in unadulterated fury. "Nuisance, do you fathom what would have happened to you if Macnair recognized you?"

Affronted, she looked up and met the eyes of the blond. Despite the darkness, she could perfectly see his beautiful eyes shining in the darkness. But then, her gaze slightly wavered upon seeing this crazed look on his eyes. She forced herself not to look away.

"I could have perfectly handled it myself, Draco Malfoy," she said through gritted teeth. "I… had a plan" –

- "A plan to die, perhaps" –

"And it was going on smoothly!" she cried out in indignation, halting in her steps to fully stare at him. The blond followed her lead and stood tall and menacing, looking down at her through his hardened eyes. "I am not dumb, Malfoy. I have a wand with me. I could have hexed him into oblivion without blinking my ey" –

Her words halted once the blond roughly grabbed her arms and tightly gripped them. She released a shout of surprise and pain but his hold did not slacken. "_What _were you thinking?" he asked, his voice sounding slightly strangled and slurred. "You could have _died_, Granger! You could have died! DIED!"

"Draco," Blaise softly butted in, trying to pull the blond away from the petrified brunette. Draco budged and allowed the Italian to completely pull him away from Hermione. "Let's talk about this in our room. Not here. Not where anyone can hear us."

He was breathing heavily and was staring intently at Hermione. She, on the other hand, was staring at him with a mixture of complete awe and fear at the same time.

Draco was the first one to break their eye contact as he roughly pushed Blaise's hands away from him and stomped back to the Slytherin common room.

Blaise sighed as he turned to a still quiet and horrified Teddy and a slightly shaking Hermione. "Come on," he beseeched, grabbing each of their arms. "Let's go back."

The Italian, seeing that he was the only sane one among the four of them, had no choice but to drag back his roommates and finally settle things once and for all.

* * *

They had finally arrived in their room. When the three of them entered, the weary blond was sitting motionlessly on his bed, his head buried in his hands.

Hermione felt more dreadful as she slowly strode towards her bed, removing her Death Eater robes and her bewitched spectacles. She was fully exposed now and she was not able to see how Teddy recoiled in shock.

Her eyes were shining with unshed tears as she turned around, finally facing her three roommates. _'This is it, then,' _she thought, helplessly sitting on her bed.

The time had finally come; both Blaise and Teddy knew of her deceit. It was inevitable, after all. But Hermione wished they could have known about her secret after she had finally accomplished her task. Maybe they would have understood it more.

She started wringing her wrist, at loss for words. The witch had no idea where to start and what to stay. Both Blaise and Teddy were looking at her expectantly. Draco, on the other hand, had chosen that time to look at her straight in the eyes, this time, his fury slightly mellowed. Instead, it was replaced by something foreign she could not decipher.

Hermione then looked away and chose to stare at her hands. She took a deep breath then uttered a soft, "I'm… sorry."

'_That's a start,' _she thought. She heard Draco release an exhausted sigh but did not comment anything any further.

"I…" A lump formed in her throat and she forced it away. "I don't k-know what to say."

"Start from the very beginning, I guess," Blaise offered.

Hermione was very thankful for Blaise that time because he seemed to be the only unaffected person in the room. Even adorable Teddy was deathly quiet. She wished she could be able to read what was running through his mind.

"The… beginning," she puffed out, running a hand through her brown tresses. She absentmindedly removed her bewitched spectacles and gingerly placed it on her bedside table. "As you all know, Hermione Granger died on the fifth of August just last year. Her grave is buried in the Forbidden Forest, still close to Hogwarts."

A rueful smile appeared on her face as she stared at Blaise. "Obviously, it was a lie," she continued. "A sham. It was supposed to look like _I _died for my own safety. I was… hunted by Voldemort" - she pointedly ignored how Teddy visibly flinched – "and his minions. Merlin, they even burned my house down! I was actually supposed to die. But I did not."

"Harry… oh, Harry. If he wasn't there… if I hadn't invited him to join my family for dinner, I would probably be buried six feet under the ground, not some bewitched pillow to look perfectly like me."

**[1] **A faraway look settled on her face as her gaze traveled to their window, showing the velvety sky. "I was brought to Dumbledore and he offered to hide me. I stubbornly refused, telling him I couldn't go into hiding when my parents are slowly dying under Voldemort's clutches."

She started to cry at that moment. Softly and silently. Her tears gently fell down from her doe-like eyes and noiselessly landed on her red cardigan before completely disappearing. "I was gi-given the task to save them." She suddenly chuckled. "No, actually, I suggested this task. Both Harry and Dumbledore were adamant that this could be dangerous for me. I mean, fraternizing with Slytherins? No offense, but you guys had a pretty… bad reputation. But that was not it. I wanted to be a Death Eater, too."

"Why?"

Her eyes landed on Blaise, who was sincerely looking at her in worry. She offered him a small smile, which he returned. "Well, I figured out that the only way for me to save my parents in a place full of Death Eaters is to become one," she answered. "It's not exactly the most thrilling thing to do, but I was decided then. I cannot back out anymore."

Silence ensued. Hermione took that time to survey the looks on her roommates. Blaise was still wearing this worried look on his face. Draco's fury had completely evaporated and was instead replaced by a pensive look. Still, Teddy's expression was indescribable.

"I… I'm sorry," she said, breaking the silence. "I know how you had treated me wonderfully these past few months. Merlin, even the whole Slytherin population can act nice if they wanted to! I wanted to tell both of you. I really do. There were times when I actually felt guilty for keeping a very big secret from the two of you. You trust me with your whole heart; I can see that. I do not want to break your trust just because I lied to you."

"U-understand that I'm doing this not for my own selfish reasons," she continued. "Well, a bit selfish because all I want now is to hug both of my parents. But… it's perfectly reasonable, isn't it? I just… I want them _back_."

She had shut up, hastily wiping the tears away from her face. "Oh Merlin, I look stupid," she said, releasing a few chuckles.

To her surprise, Draco started to talk once again. "Still," he said, his voice sounding even, "it wasn't an excuse for you to act so recklessly, Austen."

"Draco," she said, pointedly looking at him, "we've talked about this before, right? _Anything for them_. Even if I have to sacrifice my life just to save them."

"Stop being such a bloody Gryffindor for a moment, will you?" he suddenly snarled, eyes dangerously flashing. "That's the reason why people sorted in Gryffindor are slowly decreasing in population. Your recklessness causes your downfall."

She wanted to be angry with him. She really did. But he had a point and a very good one it was. So instead, she sighed and ran a hand through her curly tresses. "I… know," she whispered. "But love can make you do stupid things, Draco."

He huffed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms in the process.

"How come Draco knows when _I _don't?"

All eyes landed on Teddy, surprised that the carefree Slytherin had talked for the first time that night. Instead of seeing the usual cheerful bloke, they were staring at an extremely furious Theodore Nott. Hermione reckoned she had never seen him so furious in his life before, even when she had spewed all over Draco.

"Teddy…"

"How come _I _don't know?" he thundered once again, standing on his full height.

"Theo, really," Draco said. The carefree Slytherin's eyes snapped at the blond. Draco rolled his eyes and stood up, slightly approaching his irate best friend. "I discovered it purely by chance."

A look of hurt settled on Teddy's face. "And you did not tell me?" he said, sounding upset. His face then morphed into pure fury. "Draco, how _could _you? Didn't we promise to tell each other our deepest and darkest secrets?"

"Really? The last time I checked, I have some privacy, you know," he shot back.

"We're best friends!" Teddy hollered back. "I TRUSTED YOU!"

"Teddy…"

"Quit being melodramatic, Nott," Draco shot back, starting to get furious himself. "This isn't about you."

Theodore hissed and glared. "We were best friends for years, Draco. YEARS! And you hid your discover from me? And Blaise...!"

"I know."

"He didn – WHAT?"

Teddy swiveled around, his eyes landing on a calm Blaise.

Both Draco and Hermione's eyes widened simultaneous, also staring at the Italian in extreme shock.

"You… knew?" Draco asked, sounding breathless.

"Yes," Blaise asked, unwaveringly holding Hermione's gaze. "For a while now."

The carefree Slytherin trudged toward his best friend and showcased his humongous hurt through his eyes. "And you did not tell me?" He stepped back, his face contorting back in rage, and thundered, "Am I the only one who doesn't know?"

"Apparently so," the blond said, glaring at his best friend. "Let's face it, Nott. You are too dense for your own good. Even that little second year imp of yours knew about that. You're the only one who doesn't know that you're an extremely dense person, enough proof that you are actually one."

Teddy opened and closed his mouth, not knowing what to say, and then finally pursing his lips tightly.

He turned around and Hermione had to hold her breath as he slowly walked towards her. Nott had this murderous look on his face as he finally stood a few meters away from the brunette.

"Teddy…"

"How could you?" he started, his voice laced with pure hurt. Hermione couldn't help but release a few more tears from her eyes. "I trusted you."

"Nott, really…"

"Shut up, Draco," Teddy snarled, swiveling his head around to glare at his blond best friend. The Malfoy heir gladly glared back and huffed when Teddy looked away from him, putting his attention back to the exposed brunette.

"I trusted you, Hermes… or should I say Granger?" He spat her real last name like it was acid. Huge pain stabbed through her heart and she had to look away. She couldn't stand the look of anger in his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, Teddy," she whispered, discreetly wiping her tears away. "I… I… please understand. I merely disguised myself to save my parents from that dark bastard. Please don't be mad at me."

"Mad? MAD?" he thundered, clenching his hands into fists. "I'm _absolutely _furious, you… you bloody Gryffindor! You had the nerve to lie to me and dress like a man for your own bloody reasons? Merlin, I feel like I'm going to be angry with you _forever_. What you did is undoubtedly unforgivable."

She gingerly reached for him but her hand recoiled back, finally falling limply back at her side again. "I repeat," she said softly, now holding his gaze unwaveringly. "I'm so sorry, Teddy. But like what I've said, I just did it to save my parents. I did not mean to h-hurt you."

Something shifted in the carefree Slytherin's eyes and she had to blink exactly three times to convince herself that she was merely imagining it. When she blinked for the fourth time, it was still there on his face. A smile.

Teddy was smiling.

And Merlin, it was so brilliant she had to take a few steps back in surprise. Wasn't he furious with her a few moments ago? What the bleeding hell was he doing now, looking as if he had won the International Quidditch World Cup all by himself?

To further surprise her more, Teddy suddenly pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. A loud gasp of surprise escaped from her lips as she stared at Draco and Blaise, wide-eyed. Draco looked positively furious while Blaise merely looked annoyed and tired.

"Teddy?"

"Whatever, I changed my mind." The cheerful Theodore Nott was back. "I'll only be angry with you for a few minutes."

'_What the hell?' _Hermione gushed in her mind, astonished beyond comprehension.

"Sweet Salazar, you are a girl?" he continued in exclamation. The boy was almost literally jumping for joy, only his hands were wrapped tightly around Hermione. "That is so… so _awesome_! I cannot believe it! And Hermione Granger!"

He slightly pulled her away from him and stared intently at her petrified form, his adorable grin growing larger on his face. "I always knew that if you were not a Mud – _Muggle-born_, you'd be sorted into Slytherin! Why, you deceitful witch! You made me think I was slowly falling i - ."

His words instantly died on his lips as his cheeks colored.

Hermione was too distracted by happiness to mind his almost slip-up.

"So… you're not mad anymore?" she asked almost breathlessly.

"Of course not!" he exclaimed, recovering from his initial horror of realizing he almost confessed his deepest and darkest feelings for the brunette in front of him. "Why would I when you apologized?"

Of course.

Theodore Nott was a bloody immature git. How could Hermione forget? The young man had extreme mood swings – one moment he would be so cheerful you could literally see him shining with extreme happiness and the next thing you knew, he'd be barking at you angrily and commanding you to call him 'Theodore' instead of his nickname.

Oh, Hermione was absolutely happy for Teddy to be born that way. Sure, it was annoying at times but good lord, she wouldn't know what to do if the carefree Slytherin would be angry with her until graduation.

"Thank you, Teddy." And she meant every letter of it. "For understanding."

She gave him the biggest smile she could muster despite the tears staining her face. He, in return, turned into a furious shade of red before offering back a shy smile of his own.

Hermione did not mind when he hugged her tight again. In fact, she even allowed her hands to settle comfortably on his back. She had no idea that Teddy was hugging her, _tightly_, for something not-so-platonic.

Teddy then was roughly pulled away from her by an annoyed Draco. The carefree Slytherin glared at the blond, already missing Hermione's warm body, but his best friend merely glared at him in return.

"Being too enthusiastic now, are we?" Draco snapped. Teddy pouted and crossed his arms like a petulant child.

Sighing, he ignored his immature friend and looked back at Hermione. The brunette looked back at him intently and noticed that she was actually happy now. She really did not want Teddy and Blaise to hate her. His mercurial orbs involuntarily softened before speaking, "Now that your secret's out, what now?"

Hermione pursed her lips, thinking deeply. She ran a hand through her hair and with uncertainty in her voice said, "Well… I think, we should inform Dumbledore that both Teddy and Blaise knew about my secret already. I mean… it was supposed to be a secret, after all. I think Dumbledore has the right to know that two more people knew about my merely disguising as a guy. He'd think of something to do."

"Now?" the blond asked, sounding annoyed.

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Draco, _now_," she said. "This is extremely important. We cannot go busting my task now, can we? Not that I'm distrusting both of you, Teddy and Blaise. But… let's just go to Dumbledore, okay?"

"It's past midnight!" Teddy whined, although he gladly budged when Hermione grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room. "I'm tired."

"Please," Hermione said. "Dumbledore has to know."

Draco rolled his eyes at the ridiculous look on the carefree Slytherin's face. Goodness, should she really say the 'magic word'? Now, Teddy looked as if he couldn't refuse her request anymore.

He angrily puffed his cheeks and trailed behind. Now that Hermione Granger's secret was out and his roommates accepted it a tad bit enthusiastically, he had to absolutely guard his roommates' every move.

"Are you coming?"

He rid himself with rubbishes as he shook his head and stared at Blaise. "Of course I am," he retorted back.

A weird look settled on the Italian's face but before Draco could completely delve into it, Blaise looked away.

Draco sighed and begrudgingly started to walk again. Why did he have this feeling that he should guard the every action of Blaise's more than Teddy's?

A scowl appeared on his face and he glared at Hermione's back.

'_Damn you, bloody witch,' _he snarled inside, _'for making us feel this way.' _

* * *

Professor Dumbledore had finally finished his weekly report he had to send to the governors of Hogwarts. With a silent yawn, he pulled his half-moon spectacles from his electric blue eyes and cleaned the eyewear.

Truly, this day had been extremely tiring and he couldn't wait but to crawl under his bedcovers and sleep. People used to think that the greatest wizard of the century did not sleep because he had to do other important things than that. Their silly notion always made the old man laugh. He was still human, for goodness' sake. Like other humans around the world, he needed a goodnight's rest.

But then, he had this feeling that he wouldn't be able to sleep for a while now. Years and years of teaching in Hogwarts made him so familiar with it that he even had this gut feeling in his stomach every time he knew that something was amiss or his students had this huge problem hiding in their deepest and darkest recesses of their hearts. He had no idea if it was magic; that Hogwarts had bestowed him such… feeling for being the protector of Hogwarts and everything inside it. But nonetheless, he was grateful. It had saved numerous lives before.

Just then, his office door burst open. He looked up in surprise. He knew he shouldn't retreat back to his bedchambers because judging by the fact that Hermione Granger without any disguise trudged inside his room together with her other Slytherin roommates seemed alarming and skeptical at the same time.

"Professor, please let me explain," the brunette said once she stopped a few inches away from the Headmaster's desk. She had seen the surprise in his electric blue eyes and she wanted him to understand before jumping into conclusions. "Something… happened."

"I believe something did," the old wizard said, eyes landing on both Teddy and Blaise. The carefree Slytherin seemed uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze whilst Blaise tried his very best not to look a bit scared.

"Mister Malfoy?"

The blond sighed and rolled his eyes at Hermione, whose gaze landed on him. "Let her explain," he said.

Her eyes widened in slight horror. She knew that Dumbledore would somehow get disappointed at her for being so reckless and following her heart instead of her logic. And she did not want to see that expression on the teacher she most respected.

Draco realized her alarm and once again, he merely rolled his eyes. "You placed yourself in this situation, nuisance," he shot back. "You explain yourself."

"Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, now looking a little grave. Hermione slowly looked at him, guilt engulfing her whole form. The Headmaster entwined both of his fingers calmly and rested his chin on them. "I'm going to listen once you are ready."

The brunette visibly gulped and helplessly sat on the chair opposite the Headmaster's. "I'm sorry," she started, sounding a little choked up. "I… I… I've disappointed you, sir. I had been reckless! I was stupid to be so overwhelmed by my feelings and thwart my logic. But I… but I was close, sir! I was almost there! Just a door away and… and…"

"Hermione," the old man piped in. The Gryffindor incognito snapped her lips shut upon being addressed by the teacher by her first name. "You are babbling, I'm afraid."

A nervous chuckle escaped from her lips and she ran a hand through her hair, frustrated. She took a deep breath then, "I once again tried to save my parents all by myself."

Like what she had predicted, surprise and disappointment mingled in his eyes. "Miss Granger…"

"I know, I know, it was dangerous," she said. "I've heard that countless times before you, Professor." She shot Draco a very meaningful look, which he returned back with a dark glare of his own. "But my plan had been going on very smoothly until… Macnair came."

"Does Harry know?" the professor asked.

Hermione vigorously shook her head. "Oh no, no, no," she said. "Harry would go ballistic if he discovered I'm formulating another plan behind his back. He almost got mad when he discovered I did it before and was almost busted by Rookwood."

"Damn right that was," the blond muttered under his breath.

She glared at him whilst Dumbledore released a reprimanding sound. Draco reverted back to silence and chose to stare at his hands sullenly.

The Headmaster exhaustedly sighed then started to rub the bridge of his nose. "There is no point scolding you now, is there, Miss Granger?" he asked. "What's done cannot be undone. As much as I want to tell it to you again and again that your task is dangerous, it seems like you do not listen to me at all."

Teddy chuckled, which he soon covered by a cough. Blushing he muttered, "I'm sorry. Please continue."

Dumbledore's eyes lingered on him and soon shifted his electric blue eyes to Blaise. His gaze was unwavering, almost defiant, and he smiled. "And what, pray tell, are you doing without your disguise? Mister Zabini and Mister Nott are here, if you must know."

"Oh," Hermione said, looking at her roommates. "I'm sorry, because of my recklessness, they discovered my secret. But don't worry, they accepted it, professor. And, that's why we are actually here. I had this feeling I have to inform you if more people discovered about my secret."

The Headmaster looked pensive for a moment before, to their surprise, brandished out his wand. "It is highly dangerous if more people knew about this secret of yours, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said. "And so, I'm afraid I have to Obliviate the memories of Mister Zabini and Mister Nott…"

A chorus of 'nos' erupted all over the room, startling a slumbering Fawkes. The loudest of them all came, unsurprisingly, from Teddy and Blaise.

"You can't do that, Professor!" the carefree Slytherin cried, unconsciously inching forward towards the brunette.

To their surprise, Blaise purposely strode forward and stopped just a few inches away from Dumbledore's desk. He held his gaze determinedly before taking a huge breath. "Sir," he started, voice sounding a bit restrained, "you cannot Obliviate our memories." Blaise chanced a glance at the petrified brunette and allowed himself to slightly smile. "We swear not to disclose this… this seemingly precious secret to other people, jeopardizing her. Right, Nott?"

"Yeah!" Teddy exclaimed, his face showing determination as he placed a hand against his heart. "I swear to all the candies in the whole wide world."

Draco chuckled in disbelief as he stared at his amused teacher. "And those sweets meant the world to him, Headmaster," he said. "Trust me."

Professor Dumbledore cracked a small smile, now looking at Hermione. "Miss Granger? Would you like to say something?" he kindly asked.

Hermione looked from both Blaise and Teddy and couldn't help but smile widely. Who knew they would end up to be two of the most important people in her whole life? "I trust them, Professor Dumbledore," she sincerely said, eyes landing back at the wrinkled face of their Headmaster. "Please trust them, too."

He searched her face for a while before breaking their eye contact. His electric blue eyes twinkled as he surveyed the other two Slytherins in the room. "Well, it seems like Miss Granger finally made her decision," Dumbledore said. Upon seeing the confused looks on their faces, he continued, "Well, my dearest Hermione, you did not really have to come to me to ask what to do next. If you wish them to keep their memories, then I won't stop you. If you wish to Obliviate their memories, Merlin forbid, I won't stop you either. This is your task, not mine. I'm merely guiding you. The decisions that are committed are always yours."

The brunette softly laughed and shook her head. Trust Dumbledore to suddenly put you under a test at the least expected time. "Okay," she said, absentmindedly tucking a stray curl behind her ears. "I don't want them to lose their memories about tonight's event."

The smile that stretched on both Blaise's and Teddy's faces literally lit the whole room.

"Very well," Dumbledore said, returning her smile. "After all, this is actually inevitable. All secrets must be revealed, my dearest student. And besides, it is good if more people you trust should know about this plan of yours."

Hermione nodded understandingly as she slowly stood up. "Well, I think that's about it, sir. We will - "

"No, wait!" Blaise exclaimed. He ignored his roommates' eyes on him as he determinedly closed the space between him and the Headmaster's desk. "I have one more proposition, sir."

Something flashed in Dumbledore's eyes but then, it was quickly gone before Blaise could dwell on it. "Go on, Mister Zabini," he prompted.

"I… I wish to be a spy for the Order," he said.

A loud gasp escaped from Draco's lips as he stared at Blaise. "Zabini!"

"No, no, Draco, I really want to," Blaise said, turning around to stare at his best friend. "You very well know how much I loathe following that… that monster. I'm merely doing it because my mother said so, and I love my mother. But I think, this is the right time for me to pave my own path. After all, I have a greater reason why I should defy You-Know-Who's orders now." He gave Hermione a meaningful look, which Draco seemed to understand.

"It'll be dangerous," Draco said, his eyes softening as he, too, looked at Hermione. The brunette met his gaze with inquisition written all over her face.

"I know that," Blaise said with a humorless chuckle. "Although, I cannot fathom why you're putting yourself in that position if you yourself perfectly know that."

The Malfoy heir merely smirked.

Blaise smiled back, which then morphed the blond's smirk into a small smile. "Thanks, mate," he said. "I could help you, you know."

"I know," Draco only said.

Hermione looked from one Slytherin to the other and felt her heart swelling in fondness. _'They really cared for each other that much, huh?' _she asked herself, finding herself smiling widely at both Slytherins.

"Hey!" Teddy exclaimed, suddenly breaking this special moment between best friends. He trudged toward Dumbledore's desk and leaned down, his hands firmly placed on top of the Headmaster's desk. "Me too! I want to be a spy for the Order!"

"You too, Mister Nott?" Dumbledore asked in surprise.

The carefree Slytherin nodded his head in enthusiasm. "Yeah, I want to help Draco, too, with his task," he said.

"Why then, why should I refuse when both of you willingly offered your services?" Dumbledore was positively beaming. "Of course, if you wish it."

Both Blaise and Teddy smiled simultaneously.

"Thank you, Professor, Blaise said.

"Yeah!" Teddy exclaimed. "You aren't an old nutcase at all!"

Instead of becoming offended, Dumbledore looked fairly amused. "An old nutcase?"

Draco, a little panicked, covered Theodore's mouth to stop him from giving Dumbledore another reason to refuse his offer to be a spy. "He's just sprouting nonsense, Professor. Don't mind him," he said. "He tends to be like that when he's exhausted."

The Headmaster chuckled and waved his hand in dismissal. "Then, I think it is best if you go back to your dormitories now," he said. "Goodnight, my dear Slytherins."

Hermione beamed and slightly inclined her head in respect. "Thank you very much, Professor Dumbledore," she said.

"Oh no, don't thank me, Miss Granger," he said. "Thank _you_." He looked at the other three Slytherins and fondly remembered the times when they caused such severe headaches to the old man. "I am glad to see that you found yourselves such good friends."

"I am glad, too," she said, looking at her other three roommates with a smile. They all gave back a smile of their own, which Dumbledore thought was absolutely heartwarming.

"We have to retire back to our dorms now," Draco said, grabbing Teddy's arm not-so-gently when he noticed that he tried to escape from his grasp to join Hermione's side. "Goodnight, Professor."

The other three bid their own goodnights before they completely walked out of the Headmaster's office.

* * *

**[1] **I know that the Slytherin common room is submerged under the Hogwarts lake. But after researching, they said it was _half _underwater. Therefore, let's just say that their room is above the lake :D

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**A/N: And, end of chapter twenty-nine! So, what did you think? Leave a review and make me happy! And yes, if some of you are wondering, Teddy's reaction to Hermione's secret was actually inspired and a little based on the Korean drama I've been blabbering about ever since I started this story :D So, I hope those who noticed it would be reading this :D Draco's reaction, on the other hand, is a little hysterical... okay, _very_ hysterical. But that's perfectly understandable, right? I mean, what would you feel if the love of your life could have been dead if you weren't able to realize that he or she is in danger? Tell me XD **

**I apologize for the lack of review responses. It's my mother's birthday today and I was out the whole day. I normally write the responses every Wednesday… so, since I wasn't home, I was not able to write them. But I assure you that I'll be putting them up next week :D **

**Speaking of next week, it's the last week of my summer vacation. NOOOO, I can't believe it! And I'll be in my senior year in high school already! Oh well, at least we're the eldest *grins maniacally*.**

**So, that's it. It's almost midnight here and my eyes are drooping already. Once again, leave a review! **

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe :D**


	30. Oblivious

**Disclaimer: It's already the **_**thirtieth **_**chapter. If I were JK Rowling, I would not be here in this site and spread Dramione love. Instead, I'd delete anything Ron/Hermione in the original series and make them together. SO, yes, I'm still WickedlyAwesomeMe :D**

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**A/N: GAH, thirty chapters for Only a Pretense, huh? WOW, I cannot believe it *sobs* Thirteen more (including an epilogue) and the story's done :D I'm pretty excited but sad at the same time. Soon, another story of mine has to end :( **

**I would like to thank my awesome Beta Reader, **_**OnErrantry**_**! Yay, this chapter is actually beta-ed, so no need to feel a little wary of my grammatical errors. Hehehe. **

**Bah, enough of these. A new chapter is here, anyway. So, without further ado, I present to you Chapter Thirty of Only a Pretense! Enjoy :D And please review after reading *wink***

**_EDITED: Good gracious, people. My Beta Reader is AWESOME. I'm the one who made a mistake. Haha. What I uploaded was the very first, rough, UGLY draft of chapter thirty. She used "Track Changes" and me, being a bloody careless person, made a mistake of not accepting them. HENCE, it was my fault. So, I'm sorry, I uploaded the REALLY edited one. Don't blame her :( _**

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**Chapter Thirty: Oblivious **

* * *

When she arrived in the Room of Requirement, laughter bubbled out of her mouth.

Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, was sprawled lazily on the couch, obviously fast asleep. His mouth was slightly agape, and a dribble of saliva was escaping from his lips down to the couch. Hermione made a mental note to cleanse that piece of furniture before ever sitting on it again.

"Oh, Harry," she sighed, slowly approaching his sleeping form. Hermione reckoned it was still a tad too early to ask Harry to meet her in the Room of Requirement, seeing that it was a Sunday. Both Harry and Ron tended to sleep in every Sunday, usually waking up only when it was time to have lunch and their stomachs did not have anything to do but grumble like crazy and demand to be fed.

But she thought that for him to know that Teddy and Blaise knew about her secret now was important. And good Godric, she knew that he absolutely had to know that she had been reckless again and broke her promise. Harry tended to overreact about broken promises, so she did not want him to hear it from anybody but herself.

"Harry," she whispered, running a hand through his raven-black hair. The Gryffindor stirred in his sleep, closing his mouth and then murmuring something incoherent, before drifting back to sleep. She cracked a small smile and gently shook him this time. "Harry, wake up."

He groggily opened his eyes, revealing the eyes he inherited from Lily. At first, they were unfocused as he looked around the room, confused. But, when his eyes landed on Hermione, a sleepy grin formed on his face. "Good morning," he greeted, sitting up on the couch. He absentmindedly wiped his chin with his right sleeve, removing the evidences of his good nap in the process.

"Good _afternoon_," she corrected, pulling out her wand and discreetly charming away his other saliva on the couch. Harry looked faintly amused but did not comment any further. Instead, he removed his spectacles and got rid of sand from his eyes.

"Merlin, Hermione, it's a bit too early for meetings, eh?" he said as Hermione sat down beside him. His arm wrapped around her shoulders automatically and she placed her head on it daintily, contented.

She only hummed a small reply and closed her eyes. Silence settled between them. Hermione thought that Harry had gone back to sleep, but then he broke the silence.

"So, why am I here again?" he asked, looking at her.

Hermione sighed and pulled her head away from his shoulder. His arm fell limply on his lap and he raised an eyebrow, suspicious.

"You did something wrong, didn't you?" he asked, scrutinizing her from head to toe. Hermione tried really hard not to squirm under his gaze, but she failed. Harry had this power to make her uncomfortable, especially if she was already feeling guilty. She hated the fact that she couldn't lie properly. It was a great wonder to her that she was able to deceive almost all of the people in the Wizarding World when she couldn't deceive her own best friend, Harry.

"Hermione?" he asked, prompting her with a nudge of his elbow.

She released a small chuckle as his elbow hit a ticklish spot in her stomach. A small smile flitted across Harry's lips but was quickly replaced by a worried look. "What happened?" he asked, this time determined to know the answer. "Come on. You can tell me. I'm your best friend."

Hermione released another guilty sigh before engulfing Harry in a tight hug, burying her head in the crook of his neck. He seemed startled by her sudden action, but hugged her back nonetheless. "I've been a bad best friend, Harry," she said, closing her eyes.

"How so?" he asked, careful with his words. "What is it, Hermione? You're scaring me."

"I broke a promise," she said, burying her head deeply into his neck. This was it; she was about to tell him. And she did not want to see the disappointment and hurt in his eyes when he discovered that she had broken her promise to him. "I didn't tell you, but I once again tried, all alone, to rescue my parents last night."

He stiffened in their hug as a gasp of surprise escaped from his lips. "You didn't…"

"I did, Harry," she said, cutting him off. She felt his arms go slack in their hold, but she held on to him tighter. "I'm sorry, Harry. I really am. But I'm running out of time, don't you think? And besides, love can make you do stupid things, right?"

She remembered uttering those words to Draco last night. A small smile appeared on her face, remembering the crazed look on his face upon discovering that she had ventured into the Malfoy Manor alone, once again trying to save her parents from the monster's clutches. She forlornly mused that he and Harry had some similarities after all. Both young men tended to overreact and see red over something she did, without hearing her reasons.

Hermione then realized that Harry hadn't talked since her confession. She took it as a bad sign, especially since his arms were still slack around her waist.

But then Harry released a tired sigh and tightened his hold around her, this time tighter than earlier. "Oh, Hermione, really," he said, pulling her slightly away from him to look at her eyes. She shifted them away from his scrutinizing gaze. "Look at me."

She slowly followed his order, and found herself staring back at an exhausted and extremely concerned Harry Potter. Hermione couldn't see any traces of anger in his eyes.

"I had a feeling you were going to break your promise, regardless of what you said to me weeks ago," he said. A tired smile appeared on his face as she stared back at him sheepishly.

"You're not mad?" she asked slowly.

He seemed thoughtful for a moment, then, "I was, but only briefly," he said truthfully. "But like I said, you'd be breaking it sometime, so I'm not really. Good Merlin, you're Hermione Granger! And I'm your best friend. I've known for years that you never back down once you've put your mind to something."

Hermione chuckled and threw her arms around him again. "Oh, Harry," she said. "I truly am sorry."

Harry made a dismissive sound with his throat. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," he said, although his voice did not hold disappointment or anger. That made her smile. "Just, tell me when you attempt to save them again. Okay? That's all I'm asking from you, Hermione. _Tell me_. I won't stop you and lock you here in this room to keep you from being able to go to that darned place and put yourself into a dangerous situation once again. Especially since you'd break my spell anyway."

The Slytherin genuinely smiled as she placed a kiss on his cheek. "I promise." And she meant it. Apparently, Harry knew she was sincere too, since he smiled.

"Okay, now that's settled, is there anything more you need to tell me?" he asked, releasing a humongous yawn. "I want to head back to my room and sleep."

"A late night?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Perhaps with a certain pretty little redhead…"

Harry blushed furiously and glared. "_We _did not!" he protested.

Hermione laughed and completely pulled away from their hug. "Oh, come on, I knew _eons _ago that you've been sleeping with Ginny," she said. "That was bound to happen, anyway. Merlin, every time you see each other, I seriously want to tell you two to get a room. But Ron's there, and I don't want to break his little heart by making him realize that his little sister is not completely innocent anymore."

Despite his embarrassment, he grinned widely. "Tell him and you're gonna die," he teasingly threatened, which prompted Hermione to roll her eyes.

"Threaten me and I'll tell him," she retorted.

Harry chuckled. "Touché," he commented.

Hermione softly laughed. "Anyway, I'm not going to keep you cooped up in this room further and hold you back from running to your witch, but, you should probably know that both Teddy and Blaise already know that I'm Hermione Granger."

His eyes widened behind his spectacles. "They do?" he asked. His eyebrows then knitted together. "How? You told them?"

"No, it was purely by accident," she said. "Although, Blaise said he'd known about it for a while. I'm not really sure why he kept it from me. Anyway, they discovered it yesterday. I was – don't get mad – dressed without my disguise to do my plan. Don't worry; I had my bewitched spectacles with me. And apparently, Draco had ordered them to find me because I was in danger, so… there. They already know."

"And then? How did they take it?" he asked.

Hermione smiled fondly. "Blaise took it quite well. Like I said, he confessed that he'd known it for a while now," she said. A disbelieving laugh then escaped from her lips. "And Teddy, well, he's another story. Merlin, I thought he would be furious with me forever and ever. But then he suddenly hugged me and told me that he was happy I'm a girl."

"Uh huh," Harry said, a knowing look on his face, although Hermione was not able to understand it.

"Oh, and they did something extremely surprising, Harry," she said, eyes shining with mirth.

The Gryffindor couldn't help but roll his eyes at her enthusiasm. He couldn't be blamed; any conversations about the Slytherins made him disgusted and bored. "I bet you did not expect it," he said, monotonously.

Hermione raised her eyebrow in amusement. "I bet _you _will not expect it," she shot back, which prompted Harry to raise his own eyebrow, although he didn't say anything else. "Both Blaise and Teddy offered to be spies for the Order of the Phoenix."

Now she had caught Harry's attention.

"They _what_?"

"You heard me right, Harry James Potter," she said, suddenly feeling proud of her roommates. "The Slytherins you and Ron used to loathe actually asked Dumbledore right there and then to make them spies for the Light Side."

Harry willed his eyes to revert back to their normal size but failed miserably. "They did not," he burst out, almost breathless.

Hermione chuckled and slightly closed his mouth. "They did," she said. "Get over it."

He blinked countless times, and then a disbelieving smile appeared on his face. "Wow, I cannot believe it," he said. "Who knew? But then again, who would ever have thought that Malfoy himself would defy that bastard's order."

Upon hearing her roommate's name, she smiled. "Oh, they did not do it for me," she said.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, skeptic.

"Nope," she said. "They did it for Draco. They said they wanted to help him. Would you believe that? Even Slytherins care for their best friends."

Harry was looking at her strangely.

"What?" she asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"So, it's 'Draco' now," he stated matter-of-factly. "I did not notice."

She faintly blushed and shyly smiled. "Err, well, I've been addressing him by his first name for a while now."

He still looked highly curious. "Really now," he slowly said, scrutinizing her every move. "Last time I checked, you were cursing him for being such a bloody ferret. Why the sudden change?"

A mysterious smile appeared on her face. "Oh, things change. My opinion of him changed, so…"

"So…?"

She frowned and lightly shoved his shoulder. "What do you want me to say?" she asked. "Draco and I are good friends now. End of story."

"Uh huh," he said.

"Don't 'uh huh' me, Potter, it's annoying," she said, laughing lightly.

"So, I'm 'Potter' now, huh?" he asked, mirth dancing in his eyes. "Well, if you wish it, _Granger_." Harry laughed when Hermione playfully punched him. "Merlin, we did sound like a Gryffindor and Slytherin bickering, eh? What would your roommates say? Oh, I bet they'd be so proud of you."

Hermione grinned. For some strange reason, she was not offended at all, although she sorely missed acting like a Gryffindor and defending her House against Slytherins. "Things change," she repeated.

"You changed," he pointed out.

"Really?" she asked, surprised. "How so?"

"I dunno, you just seem _happier_," he said. "You've never looked so happy since your parents were… you know, Voldie-napped."

An uncertain smile appeared on her face. "Is that bad?" she asked.

He seemed thoughtful for a moment, but then shook his head. "Of course not," he said. "Although I am disappointed I'm not the cause of it."

"Harry -"

"What? It's the truth," Harry said. "I want you happy, Hermione. I don't bloody care if it's that bunch of morons - "

" – Harry - "

" – If it's that bunch of _Slytherins _that are making you happy," he finished, grinning boyishly. "I cannot fathom the fact that you are happy because of _them_." He released a huge sigh before gathering her into his arms. "Whatever, I'm still glad. As long as you're happy, I am happy."

Hermione scrunched up her nose slightly. "Now, don't get sappy, Harry Potter," she said, gently rubbing his back. "It's weird."

Harry merely laughed.

"Anyway, I hate to leave you now, but I do have to go," she said, slightly pulling away from his hug.

He pouted. "Why?"

"I promised to visit my fake grave today," she said. Harry was about to retort with something, but she cut him off. "_And_, Teddy and Blaise want to tag along. I promised them they could come, so… I have to leave."

The Gryffindor harrumphed but did not comment anymore. Chuckling, Hermione fondly tapped his cheek and said, "Oh, Harry, you'll always be my very best friend, remember that." She stood up from the couch and stretched languidly. "Until next time, Harry."

Harry also stood up and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Goodbye."

"Oh, one more thing!" she exclaimed, remembering something.

"What is it?" he asked, eyebrows coming together.

"Can I borrow your Invisibility Cloak, Harry? I promise to take care of it," she said.

The Gryffindor was surprised with her sudden request. "What for?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

Hermione only smiled mysteriously.

* * *

The 'Silver Quartet' (as they say), excluding Hermes Austen, was seen strolling slowly through the Hogwarts grounds. As usual, they were able to catch the immediate attention of almost all the students in the field, most especially from the females of the school, who caught themselves sighing dreamily at the sight of the three.

Teddy, ever enthusiastic, waved cheerfully at the random Slytherins he saw.

Blaise, on the other hand, gave any passersby a polite and charming smile of his own. One or two fifth years were seen swooning at the mere sight of this.

Draco was the only one who did not like the attention. Odd, since he used to covet it. But now, he seemed to loathe it with a passion. He had long since discovered that being at the center of the attention was very frustrating, especially if you are the son of a notorious Death Eater. And so, unlike the reactions of his friends, he merely rolled his eyes and stuck his hands in his front pockets.

He did not really care about them now. Instead, his mind kept drifting back to yesterday's events.

Once again, Hermione Granger had managed to knock off his mask of indifference. Draco could not comprehend the fact that even the grueling warnings from Dumbledore, from Potter, heck, even from him, could not deter her from saving her parents in the Malfoy Manor. She had experienced the risk of her task _first-hand,_ yet she still hadn't learned, and had done it all over again.

He had to confess, he went ballistic when he placed two and two together and realized that she had lied to them once again and had run off to the Malfoy Manor to put her plan into action. Draco could not explain in simple words how he felt that time. All he knew was that before his eyes he could already see her lifeless form, sprawled unmoving on the ornate floor of his manor with Voldemort, his father, and the Death Eaters laughing cruelly at her dead form.

Thank Merlin they arrived in time. The relief that had hit him was so huge he had to restrain himself from lunging at Hermione and holding her as long as he could. So instead, he made her feel how she made him feel, through the only way he could think of – anger. He lashed out at her. He could not even stop when he saw the fear and hurt in her eyes. He wanted her to know that she made him almost insane with worry; she deserved to be hurt and fearful, because she made him feel that way.

Goodness, if Blaise had not been there to interfere, he did not know what he would have done to her.

Blaise.

Draco chanced a glance at his Italian friend and noticed that he was smiling contentedly.

He said he had known about Hermione's secret for a while now. How long? He did not know.

He couldn't understand why he had kept it from them. Draco mused that probably Blaise had a secret agenda he did not wish to expose. And that _agenda _made the young Malfoy a bit uneasy. No, scratch that – _tremendously troubled_.

Although he couldn't read Blaise as well as Blaise could read him, the Italian had been his best friend for years. Draco would detect if Blaise was extremely happy or sad; angry or afraid. And judging by that sickening bounce in his step, Blaise was absolutely thrilled.

Alarm bells rang wildly in his mind, and he tried to muffle them with his logical side. There was this nagging voice inside his mind, the one that was infatuatedwith Hermione Granger, telling him that it was Granger that was causing Blaise's happiness. But Draco tried to push it away. Merlin, he had to _shove_ it away to completely shut it up.

Blaise was his best friend. No one, not even a bloody gorgeous girl, could end that relationship.

"Where's her fake grave again?" Teddy said, breaking through his thoughts.

Mindlessly, Draco led the other two into the entrance of the Forbidden Forest. He'd been there countless times, after all. He could go to her fake grave with a blindfold if he needed to.

Draco then looked at his carefree other best friend, who did not hide his absolute enthusiasm. Merlin, the boy was practically skipping in happiness.

Teddy was a different story. Of course he knew he liked their disguised roommate. It was clearly obvious, especially when he still had no idea that the bloke he was crushing on was actually a girl.

Draco still found Teddy's sudden entrancement with Hermione weird. He had known Theo for years and he was absolutely a man. He hadn't ever wavered from the straight path before Hermes Austen came along. He had no idea what Granger used to make even his immature best friend fancy her. But then again, she was _Hermione Granger_. She was one-of-kind. Sweet Salazar, she had even, unknowingly, managed to make _him_ fall in love with her. He wouldn't be too surprised if a bunch of Slytherins suddenly fell down on their knees and proclaimed their love for her.

Draco was not really feeling _that _threatened by Teddy. He was so immature, for goodness' sake. Maybe what he was feeling for Hermione was only a passing fancy. One day, he might come across another woman, more beautiful than Hermione (_'As if there would be any'_), and his affections would shift to that girl.

But then again, Teddy had unpredictable tendencies, especially when it came to the opposite sex. Draco had been immensely surprised when Teddy announced that he'd had a girlfriend for two years before. And so he had no idea how Teddy's feelings for Hermione would end.

His mind was brought back to reality upon spotting the grave he had been visiting ever since the start of the school year. There was Hermione, standing silently in front of it, without any disguise. She had promised both Teddy and Blaise that they could visit her fake grave with her, and she would be dressed as Hermione Granger, not Hermes Austen. She agreed, although Draco had no idea how she could escape from the grounds without catching anyone's attention. Sure, she had those bewitched spectacles of hers, but still, seeing a mysterious brunette roaming around Hogwarts would be extremely suspicious.

He saw the backpack sitting innocently on the ground in front of her, but did not pay it too much mind.

All he could think of was how beautiful she was today.

* * *

"Hey!" she called, spotting her roommates arriving.

She was not wearing her disguise, merely arriving as Hermione Granger, and it felt extremely refreshing for her. She tucked a stray curl behind her ear, and bumped into the butterfly hairclip in the process. She couldn't understand why but every time she dressed into a girl, she always put that hair accessory on.

Hermione had arrived quite inconspicuously. After all, she was wearing Harry's Invisibility Cloak. She'd had to persuade him without telling him that she'd agreed to meet her roommates as Hermione Granger, and she had succeeded in the end. She knew that Harry wanted to keep his cloak as secret as possible, and so she brought a backpack to stuff it in when it was not in use.

Teddy, Blaise, and Draco had finally arrived, and her smile grew. She couldn't believe that after they all knew about her secret, they still accepted her. She couldn't be blamed, actually. She had been the center of insults before, seeing that she was one: a Gryffindor, two: a Muggle-born, and three: the best friend of Harry Potter. But now they accepted her nonetheless, and for that she was extremely thankful to all the cosmic powers above.

"I see you managed to sneak out without your disguise," Blaise mischievously commented. "I do wonder how."

A cheeky grin appeared on her face. "That's for me to know, and you to _not_ find out," she said. Hermione then looked from one roommate to the other and said, "So, what are we to do today?"

Teddy lifted a picnic basket. "Well, I brought the basket you asked me to fetch from the kitchen!" he exclaimed proudly.

"Good, good," she said, flourishing her wand. She pointed it at the ground and conjured up a picnic blanket. "Now, let us all celebrate!"

Draco raised an amused eyebrow. "Celebrate what?" he asked. "What's the occasion?"

"Good question Draco Malfoy, twenty points to Slytherin," she hurled back his direction. He merely rolled his eyes. Unfazed, she continued, "Well, now that all of you know about my secret and you have accepted it, I just think that we should celebrate. Our friendship, perhaps?"

"Friendship," Draco said, smirking. "Right."

Hermione returned a smirk of her own (almost Malfoy-like, which impressed him further). "Now, if all of you can sit down." She expectantly looked at the other three, who only stared back at her blankly. "Oh, for heaven's sake!" She was softly laughing as she gracefully lowered herself down onto the ground, sitting on the picnic blanket as comfortably as she could. "Come on!"

Teddy was the first one to oblige, eagerly sitting down beside her.

Blaise shot an amused look at Draco (who rolled his eyes in return), before following Teddy's lead and sitting down on the blanket, on the other side of Hermione.

Draco released a defeated sigh and finally sat down, opposite Hermione.

"See, the picnic blanket doesn't bite," she teased, now daintily opening the picnic basket. She started to spread the dishes over the blanket. As soon as she finished this little task, she realized that the other three were awfully quiet.

"Oh come on," she said, frowning at the other three, "just because I'm Hermione Granger now doesn't mean I've never been Hermes Austen." Her nose scrunched up in disgust and she glared. "Don't tell me it's because I'm emitting _Mudblood germs _now, eh?"

She was being playful and the other three knew it. Still, hearing her address herself by that _insulting _word struck a nerve in their very cores.

"Of course not!" Teddy hastily said, grabbing the nearest food, which happened to be an apple, and happily munching on it. "Hmm… see, it's delicious!"

Draco scoffed. Granger was nonchalantly bringing up something about their not-so-pleasant past. He knew she meant it as a joke, but Merlin, must she make them feel guilty for making her life miserable for six years in Hogwarts?

Blaise, on the other hand, calmly picked up the jam and carefully spread it on a slice of bread. "So… what now?" he asked, smiling at Hermione. He thought that she looked more beautiful than ever.

"Hmm?" she asked, looking up from her treacle tart. "Oh, um, I dunno. Let's just eat, I guess."

"That's all? What a waste of time, Granger, I'd rather go back to the library and finish my Transfiguration essay," Draco teased, grabbing an orange and starting to peel it.

Hermione's cheeks turned red with slight fury. "Don't call me that in public!" she hissed. "How many times do I have to remind you, Draco?"

He merely gave her his infamous Malfoy smirk.

Blaise watched the exchange with keen eyes before settling his onyx eyes on Draco. "How long have you known?" he asked.

"Known what?" his best friend asked distractedly.

The Italian pointed to Hermione. "About her secret," he said. "Her true identity."

Teddy perked up, seemingly interested as well.

Draco chanced a glance at Hermione, and almost smiled when he saw the huge smile on her face. "Well, like I've said, it was purely by chance," he said. "Eavesdropping, to put it simply. Remember that time when she said she received a letter from a secret admirer?"

Blaise nodded while Teddy said a soft 'yeah'.

"It was actually a letter from Potter," he continued, shoving a piece of orange into his mouth. "At first, I thought that The-Boy-Who-Just-Wouldn't-Die was having an illicit affair with someone of the same sex, but it turned out that it was Granger, after all."

"I should have known you had this tendency to eavesdrop on private things, Ferret-Boy," she shot back, still grinning widely.

Draco rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "You should just thank Merlin I did not reveal your secret, nuisance," he retorted. He turned his eyes to his other roommates and sneered. "The rest is history, if you think about it. She did not stop pestering me after that."

"Hey, I wasn't pestering anybody!"

"Keep telling that to yourself, Hermione," he replied, giving her a lazy grin.

Hermione blushed slightly and looked at her hands, embarrassed.

Blaise noticed it and raised his eyebrow, highly amused. _'Hmm, I wonder,' _he thought.

"Hermes… err, Her-mi-one… Merlin's pants!" Teddy exclaimed, laughing boisterously. Hermione couldn't help but laugh aloud, too. "I'm not really a fan of long and complicated names. Eh, I'm sorry. I guess I'm not used to addressing you by your own name."

"It's fine, Teddy," she said, giving him a pretty smile. "I'm used to people mispronouncing my name."

The carefree Slytherin colored a little and gave her a shy smile. "Well, if you call me by my nickname, can I call you by yours?" he asked. "If you don't mind, of course."

Hermione smiled. "I would like that," she said, "but I don't really have a nickname. Harry and Ron both call me 'Mione, but I'm not really fond of that name."

Teddy looked thoughtful for a while, then brightened up with a wide grin on his face. "Oh, I know!" he exclaimed. "What if I call you, 'Minnie'! That's it! Annie used to have a best friend named that, and ever since I met her, I've thought that 'Minnie' is an adorable name."

Hermione slightly paled whilst Draco colored. The latter remembered how he introduced her to his mother by that same name, claiming that she was his girlfriend.

"Err, you don't like it?" Teddy asked, slightly troubled. "It's okay, I can change it…"

"No, no, that's fine," she said. Hermione met Draco's mercurial eyes before saying, "That's what my Dad used to call me."

Realization dawned on Draco. His lips formed into a small 'oh' and he looked away.

"It's just..." She showed a forlorn smile. "It's just that it's been a while since I heard someone call me that. And it felt _refreshing_, that's all."

Teddy's eyes widened. The color of his cheeks darkened, but a determined look settled on his face. "Well then, from now on, I hereby resolve to call you 'Minnie' as much as I can. Is that all right?"

She grinned. "Absolutely."

"Well then, that's settled," he proclaimed. "Let's seal that with a hug."

He opened his arms wide, eager to envelope her in his arms, when Draco suddenly grabbed his collar and not-so-gently pulled Teddy towards him. "Keep your hugs to yourself, Nott," the irate Slytherin said through gritted teeth.

Hermione laughed while Blaise smiled.

They had eaten for the rest of the hour, contented to be in each others' presence. From an outsider's point-of-view, it would seem like the quartet had been best friends forever and ever, when in fact one of them had only recently joined the club.

The scene was so heartwarming. It was even made better by the birds singing melodiously and the breeze was playing with the dancing trees.

Hermione had never felt so happy before. She had no idea that someday, she would be having a picnic with Slytherins - with Malfoy, Zabini, and Nott, no less. If Trelawney had predicted that such an event would happen, she would have only laughed at her face and called her a 'fraud' once again.

But here she was, actually enjoying their company. And judging by their smiles and playful comments, they were enjoying her presence, too.

She was absolutely delighted to see that despite how fraudulent she had been, they still accepted her as one of their roommates, and even as their friend. _'Or maybe they think of me as a best friend, too,' _she said, laughing softly as Draco playfully grabbed Teddy by the neck and ruffled his hair until it was entirely disheveled.

"So, what is your impression of boys now?" Blaise suddenly asked, cutting her off from her musings. "Now that you've pretended to be one and spent time with them almost every day."

"Well, remember that I spent my time with boys almost every day _even _before I disguised as one," she said, hinting about Harry and Ron.

Blaise smiled and nodded. "Right," he said. "Now, about my question?"

Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment. "Boys?" she then asked, oblivious to the fact that both Draco and Teddy suddenly stopped their playful fight to give Hermione their full attention. "Hmm… let me see. Boys are an abomination."

"An abomination?" Teddy exclaimed, horrified.

Hermione laughed and fondly patted his head. "Ha ha, I was merely joking, Teddy," she said. She looked from one bloke to the other before continuing. "Well, seriously? Boys are messy."

Draco was the most scandalized of all.

"What? I'm not joking," she stated matter-of-factly. "Just look at your loo. Merlin, do you_ call_ that a loo? It's more like a jungle to me."

"Nuisance, you're generalizing 'all men'," he spat back. "Not _all_ men are messy."

"Right, of course," she said, grinning back at him. Hermione remembered that Draco would never, _ever_, go out in public without being clean and presentable. It was such a strange behavior for a man to possess, but then again, he wouldn't be Draco Malfoy if he wasn't like that.

"Oh, and men," she continued, "are absolutely mind-boggling. I had such a hard time adjusting. Harry had to help me countless times and encourage me to continue this bloody task of mine."

"Mind-boggling?" Blaise asked. "How so?"

Hermione grew pensive for a while. "Well, for starters, you act differently," she said. "Well, it isn't surprising at all since I'm a girl and you're all boys. But still. You lot have this weird body communication I cannot fathom up until now. Harry used to tell me I'm an extremely dense woman when it comes to boys, which is ironic, seeing that I'm 'the brightest witch of our generation'. _Not_ that I am bragging."

'_So, that's why,' _Draco thought, staring at her thoughtfully. _'Good thing she couldn't understand men, or else…!' _

"Don't worry," Teddy piped in. "I don't understand women at all. They are whiny and clingy and weepy and noisy and…" He trailed off, noticing the raised eyebrow of Hermione. He grinned sheepishly. "What, it's the truth. Though I will say that you seem different from them."

Hermione grinned. "Good," she said, "I strive to be different from the usual girls, thank you very much."

And she had succeeded, Draco thought (a bit sullenly), because, for the very first time, a girl had caught his attention. And truth be told, he was sick of the usual girls.

"Well," she continued, eyeing the empty basket and their rubbish, "I think it's best if we go back inside now." Her eyes went up into the sky and she sighed. "I have this niggling feeling that it will rain soon."

Teddy scowled, but he stood up and started cleaning up his mess. "I was having fun," he whined.

Hermione chuckled and with a wave of her wand, everything was clean. "Me too," she truthfully said.

Blaise offered to fold the picnic blanket, which Hermione allowed.

While the other three were preoccupied with their cleaning, Draco took the chance to conjure a fresh tulip and gingerly place it on top of her fake grave. He had no idea why he still continued with this strange habit of his, seeing that he knew that Hermione Granger was actually alive. But he did, and he reckoned that maybe doing this kept him sane through their grueling trainings in Malfoy Manor.

"All set," Hermione declared, which prompted Draco to subtly step away from her grave and stand a few meters away from her, looking as nonchalant as he could. "Well then, you three better go inside now. I have an errand to do before going back inside."

"We can wait for you, nuisance," the blond offered but was surprised when Hermione stubbornly shook her head.

"No, no, you go on," she persisted, giving Draco a slight push. "I'll follow the three of you soon."

The other three were not exactly thrilled with her order, but they relented upon seeing the stubbornness in her eyes.

"Fine," Draco commented. "But be back before six o'clock."

Her eyes shone with slight teasing. "There are no big bad wolves out here to get me, Draco," she said. She laughed upon seeing Teddy frown. "Oh, stop worrying, you three. I'll be fine." She waved her wand for them to see. "I can do magic as well as the three of you can, thank you very much. Or better. Now, off you go before I'm forced to blast you off."

"We'll be seeing you soon," Blaise said, before grabbing Teddy's arm. The normally carefree Slytherin waved his hand dejectedly in a farewell and allowed the Italian to drag him back.

Hermione looked at Draco and smiled. He was frowning with worry. She reckoned that after what had happened yesterday, he seemed to be wary of leaving her alone again. His concern was astounding, _endearing _even. But in this case, it was downright silly.

"I'll be _fine_," she emphasized.

Draco rolled his eyes. "You kept on saying that before. Where did that 'Ill be fine' line of yours lead you, Granger? Huh? Tell me," he growled. "I'll give you three guesses."

"Oh, Draco, really," Hermione exclaimed in exasperation. "I _will_ be fine. Stop being such a worrywart, it's annoying."

"I'm not being a worry - "

She sighed in exhaustion and smiled. "Thank you for worrying, Draco," she said. "But really, sometimes you should worry more about yourself, you know." Before he could further speak, she pushed him off again. "Go now before I bewitch you away."

He was grumbling, but he finally succumbed to her wishes and turned around, stomping back to Hogwarts without giving her a single glance.

As soon as he was gone, Hermione released a huge sigh of relief. She had no idea when Draco Malfoy had started to act so overprotective around her. It was a good sign; it meant that he actually cared for her. But she wished he wouldn't underestimate her magical prowess.

Sending them off wasn't really because of an errand she had to do. Hermione just had to return to Hogwarts under the Invisibility Cloak.

And she had to check one more thing.

She slowly turned around and her face lit up upon seeing her favorite flower sitting innocently on top of her grave. Judging by its freshness, it was new.

'_You sly ferret,' _she fondly thought, clutching the stem of the tulip and inhaled its fresh scent. Hermione had no idea how he had managed to slip one on top of her fake grave without her noticing.

Hermione had visited her grave almost every day now and Draco never failed to leave his surprise tulips. They were there every time she visited, which meant he _always _visited.

Something peculiar always stirred in the deepest recesses of her heart, which in turn sent a signal to ignite every cell in her body, making her feel all _tingly_. She still had no idea what that sensation meant, but it came every time she saw a beautiful flower, which she knew undoubtedly came from Draco, placed on top of her grave.

She shook those confusing thoughts from her mind before pulling the magical cloak from the bag. She charmed the tulip to stay everlasting, and then pocketed it. She slung the backpack on her shoulder and slid under the Invisibility Cloak.

As soon as she was invisible to the naked eye, she journeyed back to the Hogwarts castle.

* * *

**A/N: And, end of chapter thirty! So, what do you think? Nothing pretty exciting happened in this chapter. I just wanted to write something "feel good" and all. I mean, even after her secret was exposed to the rest of her roommates, they were still friends. But, I must tell you that the next few chapters after this would be… **_**interesting **_***smiles conspiratorially*. Oh, well, just wait for them!**

**Once again, I'm sorry for the lack of review responses. This week had been a little busy for me, seeing that next week is already the end of my summer. Wah, and here I thought it would last forever… Sigh, I'm not promising review responses anymore. I'll be in my senior year in high school already and I'm pretty sure that it would be a hectic year. But, I do promise to update on time :D **

**So, that's about it. Once again, leave a review!**

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe**

**P.S. Once again, I'm sorry for my mistake of uploading the crappy version of mine XD It won't happen in the future :D God, "Track Changes" in Microsoft sure boggled me *grins sheepishly* **


	31. Three Healers

**Disclaimer: Check previous chapters, please :D**

* * *

**A/N: WOOH, well, here's chapter thirty-one of Only a Pretense! It's unbeta-ed, by the way. I just started my senior year in high school last Monday and I had been insanely busy already. Yep, busy on the very first week of school, but it's because of college admission talks and applications. Stuff like that. After all, college is a BIG DEAL here in our country so… there XD **

**Anyway, I'll stop babbling. I present to you, chapter thirty-one! Review afterwards *wink* *wink* Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Thirty-One: Three Healers **

* * *

Hermione had been right in predicting of a downpour on the day she had her first picnic with her other Slytherin roommates. Although, she overlooked the fact that it would not merely be a drizzle but an all-out storm.

It had been raining for a week now and the students roaming around the school were feeling lethargic. The weather had been almost cold and the constant pitter-pattering of the raindrops seemed to hypnotize the students and beckon them to fall asleep right where they were.

The constant buzzing of the Great Hall was reduced to a soft hush, drowned by the unceasing thunder resounding all over the Unplottable castle. Lightning would continually flash, illuminating the whole room. Some candles were already extinguished because of the powerful breeze and the teachers were already annoyed in relighting them. Dumbledore, ever amused, only waved his wand and that did the trick. No matter how much the wind was powerful, the light of the candles were too stubborn to be extinguished from their wicks.

Afternoon classes had been cancelled the next day. The teachers had observed that no matter how much they tried to get the attention of their students, their attention would always divert away to the windowpanes or just snore themselves into dreamland.

To say the students were ecstatic was an understatement. Hermione, for one, was eternally grateful for this sudden delightful announcement from Dumbledore. This was, to put it simply, surprising for her, especially since she was renowned as someone who enjoyed studying, no matter how boring the lessons could be.

Hermione seemed to be sporting this humongous headache recently. Teddy blamed it on the bad weather, which she agreed. Storms rarely visited Hogwarts, after all. Magical persons rarely contracted such diseases like flu and fevers and so, it was understandable that they were still healthy, despite the drastic change in the weather. But then, almost all of the Muggle-borns in school was another story; their immune system seemed to be surprised with the sudden change of weather; thus, the flu.

Now, the whole castle was silent, seeing that almost all of the students retired back to their bed earlier than the usual, comfortably snuggled under their warm comforters.

Almost all of the Slytherins seemed to be the only ones awake in the whole castle. After all, it was a Saturday and despite how much they longed to be tucked under their blankets, they couldn't. Their meeting time was looming and they could not afford to go to sleep, especially if they want to go back to Hogwarts in one piece.

There was this rumor running around the circle of new Death Eaters that instead of using rats as their practice dummies, they would actually be using human beings now. Almost everybody, if not all, was not exactly enthusiastic with this gossip. Some inquired to their Senior Death Eater Draco Malfoy, but he was adamant to keep quiet.

Teddy and Blaise had asked him to tell if it was true and Draco only shook his head stubbornly. Even Hermione had beseeched him with that ridiculously adorable look of hers. His resolve almost broke, but thankfully, the young Malfoy had enough logic in him to know that if secrets from their Dark Lord were revealed, he would be at the receiving end of the monster's wand. And no matter how much Draco loathed the said poor excuse of a human being, he still had the decency not to provoke Voldemort. After all, they were talking about the vilest, most powerful wizard of the whole Wizarding World.

"It's almost time," Draco reminded to the whole bunch of awakened Slytherins in the common room after noticing that a few of them were starting to doze off. His announcement had been effective, seeing that they all snapped awake and focused their attention to the grandfather clock with snakes as its hands permanently bewitched against the wall under Salazar Slytherin's portrait.

Hermione, who was one of those who were almost falling asleep, groaned and slowly sat up. She had been extra grumpy that day because of numerous reasons. One: she had to put up with Ronald Bilius Weasley's constant foul attitude as they met up in the library to start researching about Draught of the Living Death and its effects to the drinker. To say that it was awful would be like saying that Hagrid was not a half-giant.

Another was that Seamus Finnigan, another fellow Gryffindor of hers, was the reason why for the very first time, Hermione failed a practice exercise. They had Transfiguration first thing in the morning and she was actually looking forward to it. She was partnered to the Irish bloke and he had this reputation of blowing up almost everything he jinxed. They were trying to transfigure a cactus into a rose and Finnigan, ever proud, audaciously announced to Hermione that he could do it all by himself and he did not need a 'snarky Slytherin's' help. Hermione, helpless, only watched as their cactus burst into flames and was given a 'T' by Professor McGonagall for the very first time. She had cried her eyes out on Harry during both of their free periods and pointedly ignored how Harry tried to restrain himself from laughing but failed miserably.

During History of Magic, their last subject before lunch, Hermione managed to do another first in her whole student life. Because for the very first time, the brunette allowed herself to sleep on that subject and miss the chance of taking down informative notes she could use for the NEWTs. She was so frustrated once she woke up and merely glared at her parchment with obvious drool splattered on it.

To top it all, her headache worsened. It had been throbbing like mad as she trailed behind Draco (who had History of Magic with her whilst Teddy and Blaise had Care for Magical Creatures), sullen and cranky all the way. The Malfoy heir, instead of helping, was only amused that the mighty Hermione Granger he knew was suddenly becoming all bitchy to everyone now.

"You can stay here, if you're not feeling well, Austen," Draco offered as a suggestion.

Hermione sighed and then shook her head. "Tempting," she commented, gently rubbing her temples to soothe her raging headache. "But I've been absent once already and you know how Voldemort hates those who make up stupid excuses. I can't use the 'Dumbledore and I have a meeting' thing. He might start getting suspicious."

"Here, drink this," Blaise piped in, gently placing a steaming cup of Earl Grey tea on her hands. "I placed a Soothing Potion in it. It might help, I guess."

The brunette flashed a smile at the Italian and sipped the tea. "Thanks, Blaise," she said.

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and gave her a charming smile. "No problem," he answered back.

Teddy, who had fully dozed off on the couch, suddenly shot up from the couch, alarmed. "What? Where? Why? How?" he exclaimed frantically, brandishing his wand out and lashed out at nothing. Upon seeing the amused looks from his best friends, he blinked and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I had a bad dream," he said, settling comfortably beside Hermione. "Gloomy weather plus gloomy castle equals gloomy dreams. Can't blame the bloke now, can we?"

The carefree Slytherin stretched luxuriously, his arms raised high above his head. When he was about to put them down, he subtly reached over to place them comfortably on Hermione's shoulders. Draco, sickened by his old moves, shoved his arm not-so-gently, which had toppled him off the couch. Teddy landed with a dull 'thud', muffled by their ornate, carpeted floor.

"Damn you!" he exclaimed, shooting up from the ground and pointing a threatening finger at the blond. "You did that on purpose!"

Draco tried to look as innocent as possible. "Language, Nott," he tutted. "There are children around here."

Teddy silently seethed and grudgingly plopped down beside Hermione on the couch once again, this time crossing his arms like a petulant child.

"Now, now, children," Blaise announced, mockingly patting Teddy's lap. Theodore glared and shoved his hand away.

Hermione, amused, couldn't help but chuckle softly under her breath. They were seriously acting like a bunch of five-year-olds. She wondered if Draco and Blaise, who obviously scorned immaturity, realized they would sometimes turn into immature blokes once they started goofing around with Teddy.

"It's time," Draco suddenly said, eyes trained intently on the grandfather clock.

All traces of humor were gone now from the other three and Hermione couldn't help but scowl. Trust Voldemort and his sick ideology to ruin this wonderful moment between good friends.

With a sigh, she stood up from the couch and donned her Death Eater robes and mask. She went into line while Draco moved towards the very front, leading the whole troupe. Two masked Slytherins, which she immediately knew were both Blaise and Teddy, flanked her side and together with the rest, they walked out of the Slytherin common room.

* * *

Hermione wordlessly entered the Slytherin common room, afraid that if she were to open her mouth, she might spew all over the carpeted floor.

The Death Eater training for that day was horrifying. _Sickening_, if she were to describe it further. Apparently, the rumor of using human beings as practice dummies was actually _true_. And Hermione was not entirely happy with the change of their errand.

Instead of those poor caged rats as their practice dummies, they now used those useless and disobedient Death Eaters who all have offended Voldemort. It was their punishment; to be dummies of the newbies, those who still were not used to using the Dark Arts.

Hermione was so _appalled _by Voldemort's sudden order. She had to restrain herself from stomping to the Dark Lord's quarters and hex him right there and then, prophecy be damned. _'How could he?' _she had asked herself over and over again, stopping herself from bursting into tears as yet again, she watched a Death Eater writhe in pain on the cold, stone floor.

She wanted to defy his orders, be stubborn and audacious and just… be a _Gryffindor_. She wanted to immobilize everyone in the room and then release all those poor Death Eaters. They might be bigoted Purebloods, but still, they were human beings, and they did not deserve such treatment from anybody.

Thank Merlin for Draco Malfoy because without him, she would have gone insane right there and then. He knew all along that they were going to use human beings as their practice dummies. While they journeyed out of the Hogwarts castle and into Hogsmeade, she found herself accompanying him, Blaise and Teddy nowhere to be found. They had a light conversation, which was surprising, since everything was tensioned around them.

He dropped hints; clues that they would stop using rats from now on. She even thought that he heard sincere worry in his voice as he continued to give her lighthearted clues on what would happen that night.

She almost cried when she walked inside the dungeons, a bunch of weakened Death Eaters piled neatly at the middle of the very room. Apparently, she guessed, they were tortured beforehand before they were to be used by the newbies.

Draco seemed to be constantly around her all throughout the training session. He seemed to detect her sudden defiance and he reminded her again and again as softly as he could that she had a task. He would constantly mutter words connected to her task. Hearing those made her stop doing something stupid, although, she could constantly feel tears gathering at the corner of her eyes.

And now that the training for that night had ended, Hermione reckoned her headache never seemed so huge before. She guessed that a band of banshees and hippogriffs were stampeding inside her head. Or partying wildly, which was equally unpleasant. She had been feeling absolutely sick as they ventured back to Hogwarts, worn-out and dreary.

Despite her nausea during their training, she was able to observe that Blaise and Teddy did wonderfully. She knew, deep down, they loathed what they were doing. But as Slytherins _and _Purebloods, she guessed they were raised to be stoic and cold when confronted by things they absolutely hated. Because of that, she further admired Blaise and Teddy… almost all of the Slytherins for hiding behind such carefully crafted mask of apathy.

Draco crafted the best mask of them all. With chin raised in confidence and wand poised to curse, nobody would ever suspect that he was _sickened _with what he was doing and that he had absolutely no choice but to follow if he wanted to preserve his life and his mother's.

Thinking about that made Hermione ponder if the spoiled first year she used to see in the corridors, bullying other students, was actually the real Draco Malfoy. But then again, she was still not entirely sure who the real him was. Even he, who should know himself better than others, did not know who he truly was.

Which was saddening, really.

"Careful," the blond suddenly warned, grabbing her right arm to stop her from toppling over. His sudden voice had cut her off from her reverie. Her mind went back into present, which she wished did not, because her headache seemed worse than ever.

"Are you all right?" worried Blaise asked, grabbing her other arm and helped Draco direct her to her bed.

Before she even knew it, she was sitting on her bed.

"I don't feel so good," she moaned, placing her head in between her knees.

"Are you going to vomit again?" Teddy asked, trying to lighten the mood around the room. Draco, who thought he was not helping at all, glared.

Hermione suddenly perked up, her face abnormally green, before standing up with great speed. She ran towards the bathroom, pushing Blaise aside in the process. Once she arrived at their loo, she knelt down in front of the toilet bowl and started to barf.

Amidst her retching, she distinctively heard Malfoy tutting. "I knew you should have stayed behind," he lightly reprimanded, although missing his usual disapproving tone.

Someone suddenly rubbed her back with soothing circles. She took a deep breath, comforted by the sudden gestures, and felt Teddy wiping her mouth with a conjured, moist towel.

That was all she remembered before everything turned black and she fell limply against Blaise's chest.

* * *

When she woke up the next morning, she felt like she had eaten a thousand stones. Her stomach felt heavy, despite vomiting all of its contents last night. Her mouth, though, was abnormally parched and with all of her might, she sat up to grab her wand.

"Easy there," somebody commented. Hermione focused her blurry eyes at the other occupant in the room and met Blaise's onyx eyes. "Water? Do you want water?"

She made a feeble sound, hoping it sounded close to a simple 'yes'. Merlin, even talking seemed so hard for her!

Thankfully, Blaise seemed to get what she was trying to say for he gently placed a cool cup of water on her hand. Hermione greedily gulped its contents and before she knew it, the cup was empty.

"Thanks," she managed to gasp out. She cringed at the sound of her voice, which was almost unrecognizable.

Blaise nodded, grabbing the cup from her hands and gently placing it on her bedside table. "Merlin, Hermione, you're awfully warm today," he commented, a small frown marring his handsome features. "Draco's right, you know. You should have stayed here instead of accompanying us to the Malfoy Manor. Your condition might have gotten worse."

She released a noncommittal sound for her reply. "Not in the mood… for reprimanding," she wheezed out, followed by wracking coughs. Blaise was quick enough to give her a handkerchief, which she gratefully clutched and covered her mouth.

"M-merlin," she stammered, throat still raw from coughing. "I've never been this sick before."

The Italian chuckled and flourished his wand. "You haven't taken care of yourself quite well, Granger," he lightly scolded, although a charming smile was still seen on his face. "Now, look at you; your immune system is taking its revenge."

Hermione softly chuckled and was about to lie down on her bed once again but Blaise stopped her.

"Wait, I'm going to let you drink something." He summoned a small vial from his trunk. He grabbed the cup from her bed and poured the contents of the liquid inside it. Next, he grabbed a teapot Hermione was surprised to be there and poured some tea inside the cup, too.

"Here, drink this," he said, giving her the now filled cup. "Tea plus a little Pepper-Up Potion works amazingly together. I bet that you'll be well in no time."

The brunette eyed the cup fondly then stared at Blaise, trying to smile at him brightly. She only managed a small one of her own, but it was still enough for him. "Thanks," she said yet again. "I'm being such a nuisance now, huh? I'm depriving you from your free time by taking care of me."

"Nonsense," he said, sounding as if what she just said was preposterous. "That's what friends do, right? Take care of each other. And besides, I'll be leaving as soon as you drink your tea. You'll feel sleepy as soon as you downed all of its contents anyway. You'll be lethargic for the rest of the day, I'm warning you. Also, once you wake up, Teddy might probably be here instead of me. We're switching duties today."

"Duties?" she asked.

He nodded. "Of taking care of you," he elaborated. "We struck a deal last night as soon as you passed out. For every meal, one will return here in our room and take care of you."

Her heart swelled in gratitude. "Both Teddy and you?" She was hoping for Draco, too, which had greatly surprised her. Her cheeks flamed in embarrassment, thankful that she had been blushing a few moments ago because of too much warmth.

Ever so slightly, Blaise raised his eyebrow. "Well, Draco's included, if that's what you're hoping for," he nonchalantly said, although the green monster inside him had once again burst into life.

If it was possible, her cheek darkened. "I'm not hoping… for that." She yawned in between her protest, which Blaise found strangely adorable.

"Now, now," he said, slowly standing up from his seat. "I think I'm straining you too much. You're supposed to be well tomorrow. Drink that up right now."

She obliged without any protest and downed its contents. As soon as she finished the tea with Pepper-Up Potion, Hermione started feeling a little bit woozy.

"Thanks," she murmured once again, releasing a huge yawn. Her eyes started to droop and she allowed Blaise to push her slightly back on her bed.

"Sleep tight," was the last thing she heard from Blaise before succumbing into darkness.

* * *

The next time she woke up, she guessed it was probably noon, judging by the brightness all over the room. She had to shield her eyes from the light, groaning as the intensity of the light had made her headache worse. Blaise's tea and Pepper-Up Potion had apparently not worked; Hermione was still feeling dizzy and nauseous.

"Oh, the light, I'm sorry," a voice proclaimed. She heard a few shuffling here and there and soon, the room was coated once again with calming darkness. Hermione sighed, voicing out her comfort, and tried to open her eyes to thank the other person in the room.

Her eyes met the blue eyes of Teddy Nott and she smiled. "Hey," she greeted, trying to sit up from her bed.

Teddy was immediately beside her and helped her up. "Hi," he exclaimed, smiling down at the brunette. "How are you feeling?"

"Awful," she truthfully said, although the small smile was still seen on her face.

"Blaise said he had given you a small amount of Pepper-Up Potion already," he continued, this time frowning. "But I guess it did not work. Your fever hasn't gone down ever since. I think it went up a degree or two even."

"I figured that out," she said with and pained sigh. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Four hours or so, I'm not really sure," Teddy said, inviting himself to sit on her bed. "I just came back from the Great Hall after eating lunch."

Hermione managed to flash a small smile. "So, it's your duty now, huh?" she asked, shifting slightly on the bed to look at Teddy.

The carefree Slytherin smiled back happily. "Yeah," he said. "I'm not really good at taking care of people, if you must know. Annie rarely got sick at home and when she is sick, I'm usually not beside her. So bare with me okay?"

He suddenly perked up, as if remembering something, before fishing out a few candy pieces from his pocket. "Here are my few favorite sweets," he proclaimed, gently dropping them on her lap. "I don't know if it will make you well, though. But what's the best cure for discomfort… SWEETS!"

'_For Teddy Nott, most probably,' _she thought, trying her best not to look witheringly at the innocent candies on her lap. Apparently, Teddy had been telling the truth – he was not really good in taking care of people. He should have known that giving sweets, or anything with a sickening amount of sugar really, are not good for sick people.

But goodness gracious, he was looking so pleased and hopeful at her. Teddy looked as if he had done something worthy of her applause. And she hated to offend him. He was, after all, only trying to help her be well once again. His innocence (plain stupidity if she was to use Draco Malfoy's vocabulary) should not be blamed at all.

"Minnie?" he suddenly asked, uttering his nickname for her. An unknowing smile appeared on her face; hearing him say his father's term of endearment for her had fueled her determination to eat the sweets and not disappoint adorable Teddy.

She just gave him a sleepy grin and grabbed a random sweet on her lap. Hermione opened the wrapper and popped it inside her mouth. She tried her best not to cough. Somehow, her infected throat detected the sickening sweetness of the candy. It had started to become itchy.

"Thanks," she smiled, hoping against hope that the smile on her face had not turned into an awful grimace.

"It helped?" he asked.

Hermione merely shrugged.

"I hope so!" he exclaimed.

Her cheeks started to get a little purple from restraining herself from coughing.

Teddy grew alarmed. "Minnie… GRANGER!" His alarm morphed into horror as Hermione started coughing horribly, sounding so raspy and hoarse the young Nott flinched countless times. "Sweet Salazar, are you all right?"

She waved a dismissive hand while rubbing her chest to cease her cough. "I'm… fine," she managed to wheeze out, taking a few calming breaths.

He was looking ludicrously hysterical; Hermione had to restrain herself from laughing. "I'm sorry!" he cried, conjuring a cup and bewitching it to fill up with water up to the brim. He gently gave it to Hermione and she finished its contents in no time. "I'm terribly sorry."

"It's all right," she answered back, a huge wave of dizziness suddenly overcoming her form.

"You look pale," he pointed out, almost whining. "I did something wrong, didn't I?" Realization dawned into him. "Sick people should not eat sweets?" She merely smiled sheepishly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Hermione tiredly sighed and lowered herself on her bed, covering her whole form with the comforter. The sweets placed neatly on her lap tumbled slowly until they landed on her bed. "I did not want to burst your hopeful bubble," she honestly confessed, giving him a sweet smile. "But thanks nonetheless."

Teddy groaned and stomped a few steps towards her. "Draco and Blaise will kill me if they discovered I did not take care of you properly!" he cried, crouching down to be leveled with her head.

She gingerly retrieved her hand under her comfort and fondly placed it against his cheek. He seemed surprised with her action; she even felt him heat up under her touch. "You did a very sweet thing, Teddy," she said. "No need to get so fussy because you're giving me a massive headache."

He blushed deeper and stood up, determined to be quiet so as not to worsen her headache. Hermione found his silly determination absolutely cute.

"Is it all right if I sleep now?" she asked. "You might get bored to tears."

"It's fine," he whispered. He absentmindedly tucked her comforter securely around her. "Go to sleep, Minnie."

He seemed to struggle on what to do next and finally settled to do something that had immensely surprised both – Teddy kissed her forehead.

"Get well soon," he mumbled almost incoherently, cheeks the envy of all the tomatoes in the whole world.

Hermione only smiled and hummed under her breath, her eyes gradually drooping. The last thing she remembered was seeing this goofy grin spread widely on his face.

* * *

It was Draco's turn to be 'on duty' that night after dinner. Teddy, unsurprisingly, had landed himself in another detention for fooling around. Blaise, on the other hand, had to tutor a pathetic fourth year Slytherin who was failing in Potions.

And so, as much as he wanted to retire to the library and read a Potions book recommended by his godfather, he couldn't. And of course, it was all Hermione Granger's fault.

'_It's _always _her fault,' _he thought, snorting.

Her determination was sometimes worthy of his infamous 'Draco smile'. But _most_ of the time, Draco reckoned she was being plain stupid and too Gryffindor for his own liking. One perfect example of this was what had happened last night. It was blatantly obvious that she was not feeling well. After all, she had a rough half-day and it would have been best if she just ditched their Death Eater training that night and retire back to bed. But she was adamant to come. Goodness, he even had the urge to throw her over his shoulders and lock her in their room until they came back!

Draco only sighed and climbed up the staircase towards the Slytherin rooms, the recommended Potions book in hand.

He thought she was being too hard on herself. Her health had dropped drastically ever since the day when she first arrived at the hidden room where her parents were currently residing but was then stopped by Rookwood. She had spent an awful lot of time in the library, researching and researching on the counterhexes of the wards surrounding her parent's room.

It was funny for him, seeing that he had been acting like her a few weeks after his mother was confined in St. Mungo's. He had dedicated almost all of his free time in the library, earnestly trying to find a cure for the dark curse Lucius had placed upon her (and secretly trying to distract himself from the fact that Hermione Granger had just died). Healers were slowly giving up on her case already and he could perfectly see it. It was not exactly the expression a son wanted to see on the healers' faces regarding the state of his mother.

And so, he researched and researched and researched… yet, he did not approve of Hermione's constant researching.

'_Funny indeed,' _he thought, now fully stepping inside their room and noiselessly closing the door behind him.

When he turned around to look at the brunette, he scowled. Merlin, she looked awful! She was still sleeping but he could see that she was physically hurting now.

Draco carefully approached her bed. Up close, she looked more awful than he thought. The dark bags under her eyes were prominent. Sweat was forming on her forehead and she seemed to have some slight difficulty in breathing.

'_Did Nott and Zabini really take care of her?' _he mused, absentmindedly setting his book on the chair beside her bed.

He gingerly reached for her forehead, planning to wipe away the perspiration from it, but when his fingers touched her pale skin, he retrieved it back almost immediately. She was burning hot and it had alarmed Draco immensely.

"Merlin, Hermione, what are you doing to yourself?" he thought aloud, brushing off her fringes from her sticky forehead. "Next thing you'll know you'd be occupying that empty casket of yours."

The young Malfoy sighed once again and planned to go straight to the infirmary to get a Pepper-Up Potion from Madam Pomfrey when the sick brunette on the bed stirred.

Draco carefully watched her when a soft moan escaped from her lips and she blearily opened her eyes. Seeing her awake made him think that instead of getting well, her illness seemed to get worse.

"Hey," he thought, slightly bending down to look at her more clearly.

She peered up at him through unfocused eyes. Hermione seemed to stare up at him blankly at first, before releasing another soft groan.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, which he later on thought was a stupid thing to ask, seeing that her answer was predictable.

Hermione answered him nonetheless. "Like hell," she rasped out. Draco cringed at the sound of her voice.

"Those gits did not take care of you properly, did they?" he asked, roaming around her form. His eyes landed on the candies Teddy had previously given to her and scoffed. "I should have known Theo would be stupid enough to offer you candies when you're not supposed to eat one."

Her form of reply was a raspy cough. She tried to sit up but Draco gently placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her down. "Oh no, no, nuisance," he said. "It's better if you don't exert too much effort."

She did not budge and her head hit the pillow once again. Her clammy hand clutched his wrist, her grip weak from deliriousness. "It's cold," she moaned. "Darn cold."

He immediately summoned his comforter and wrapped it around Hermione's form. "Better?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Draco," she said, "it's cold."

He sighed and stared helplessly at his wand. One thing he learned from Madam Pomfrey was that no spell could comfort a sick person. Healers and researchers did not bother to find or create one, seeing that flu and fevers were almost foreign to the wizards and witches of the Wizarding World; the blood flowing inside their bodies serve as barriers from these certain viruses. Thus, flu and fevers were still a bit… Muggle for them. And Hermione Granger was Muggle-born, and so, it wouldn't be surprising if she caught a cold.

"I'm going to get a Pepper-Up Potion, you just wait here…" His voice faltered when she refused to let go of his wrist.

"Stay," she said. "Please."

In normal circumstances, he would have fought hard not to succumb to her wishes, despite the fact that he had loved her dearly ever since. But now, seeing her so vulnerable… so _weak_… Her requests seemed irresistible. He did not put up a fight. "But you're cold," he reasoned out, although all thoughts of going to the infirmary were all gone.

She only released a strangled groan for her answer.

A sudden idea occurred to Draco and he had pushed it away almost immediately. It was silly; plain stupid even. And besides, he did not want Hermione to think that he was taking advantage of her during her weakened state.

But it was the only thing he could think of right now. He had read somewhere in the library after begrudgingly researching something for Muggle Studies (which all were required to take up at least once before graduation), he came across a book saying that the best thing that could comfort a sick person was physical warmth.

Physical warmth. Body. Arms… _Hug_.

That meant he had to lie down beside her, wrap his arms around her form and pull her towards himself. They were not exactly new to Draco. He had fantasized in doing that numerous times to Hermione already. But doing it for real?

'_Fat chance,' _he thought, although knowing that his resolve was crumbling down. She was visibly shaking now, trying to wrap the two comforters around her shivering body as much as possible.

"For heaven's sake," he grumbled under his breath and gently pushed her aside to give him room.

He slipped under the two comforters beside her, stock-still, afraid that if he were to move, she would suddenly push him away with all the strength she could muster and accuse him for being a sick, perverted git. It was awfully warm underneath the thick blankets and it did not help ease his discomfort.

Then to his immense shock, he felt her arm wrap instinctively around his midsection and tried to transfer his body heat to her own.

Despite her delirious state, she sensed his astonishment. "Just a minute," she murmured, comfortably snuggling against his chest. "And you can get up."

She stayed silent and was soon fast asleep, her head slightly leaning against his chest.

Butterflies fluttered wildly inside his stomach and he furiously blushed but did not let her go. In fact, he allowed his itching arms to wrap themselves around the slumbering brunette and pulled her closer to him.

The feeling he was experiencing now was absolutely indescribable; this was different from the fantasies he came up in his mind. It was real, _absolutely _real, and he was not imagining it during one of his Hermione-deprived moments.

His 'Draco smile' appeared on his face as he gazed at her face, letting his adoration for her shine blatantly in his eyes.

Despite the uncomfortable heat he was feeling, despite the fact that she was still disguised as a boy, and despite how sickly and ashen she looked, he thought he had never seen her so beautiful before.

"Blasted bint," he grumbled. "Making me sappy."

He tucked his chin comfortably on top of her head and released a noiseless yawn. He was feeling sleepy himself.

As his eyes slowly drooped due to tiredness, Draco Malfoy was absolutely sure of two things that time. One: Hermione's promised minute had finally ended.

And two: he never wanted to let go of her anymore.

* * *

He was slipping in and out of dreamland. He would stir countless times, arms surrounding such a warm and comfortable pillow, but he wouldn't dare open his eyes. He was comfortable, _too _comfortable perhaps, and he did not want to leave this bed with an abnormally soft pillow just to move to his own. He knew it wasn't his bed. His own bed was softer than this one, but strangely, he felt more comfortable here.

Draco distinctively heard a door opening and shuffling feet. He softly sighed in contentment, snuggled nearer his comfortable pillow, which had in fact, caught the attention of the newcomers in the room.

"You… YOU SICK, PERVERTED PIG!"

His eyes bolted open almost immediately. He sat up, alarmed. He instinctively slipped his hand under the pillow, expecting to find his wand, but he then remembered that he was not on his own bed.

Draco's mercurial eyes focused on his best friends, one fuming and the other slightly shocked, and rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, Nott," he started, noticing how his best friend's nostrils flared in anger. "No need to be so noisy."

Teddy had taken big strides until he was beside the bed and to Draco's immense surprise, grabbed his collar and pulled him out of the bed. Since the Malfoy heir was caught off guard, he was not able to fight back. Instead, he landed with a painful 'thud' on the carpeted floor.

"What the hell are you on about, Nott?" the irate Slytherin cried in exclamation, standing up almost immediately from his fall.

Instead of being answered by the usually carefree Slytherin, a voice broke all throughout the room. "Teddy?" Hermione's croaky voice whispered.

Draco watched, stock-still, as the Theodore rushed towards Hermione's side, who was now wide awake, and rubbing her itchy eye…

… _on the bed_ he had been occupying moments ago.

Oh.

"Oh," he said, saying it aloud instead of merely voicing it out inside his head.

Teddy subtly glared into his direction before turning back to Hermione, his face morphing from unadulterated anger to worry. "Are you all right, Minnie?" he gushed out. "Did he do something to you?"

Her face scrunched up into confusion as her eyes darted to Blaise, and lastly to Draco, who was looking abnormally quiet. "Hmm… what?" she asked, eyes landing back to Teddy. "Who did something to me?"

"Don't be idiotic, Theo," Draco snapped, taking a few steps toward the carefree Slytherin. "_I _did not do anything."

Hermione seemed surprised with his comment and frowned. She thoughtfully ran a hand through her hair and then gasped, remembering what had happened a few hours ago. "Oh," she said, blushing furiously red.

"What's the matter, Hermione?" It was Blaise this time and she only shyly smiled at him before returning back her attention to Teddy.

"Nothing happened," she said, coming into Draco's defense. She determinedly tried not to meet his eyes in fear of blushing more. "He just… took care of me and, dare I say it, _quite well _for I don't feel nauseous anymore." Her hand shot up to her forehead and smiled. "Come to think of it, I'm not feeling too warm now."

Draco seemed surprised with her comment and secretly felt relieved and triumphant. Out of the three of them, he was the only one who successfully made her well. He then lightly commented inside that Muggle customs and traditions, albeit how weird they were, were actually effective.

Teddy, on the other hand, seemed not too thrilled with her comment. "But… but… he was sleeping _beside _you!" Both of Draco and Hermione's cheeks darkened simultaneously. "And… and… his arms were wrapped around you! Surely that had meant something _different_, seeing that that bastard's a guy and you're a girl, Minnie."

"Nott - "

"Teddy, really," Blaise said, stepping in before an all-out war between his other best friends happen. "Nothing happened. Do you doubt Hermione now?"

That had struck a nerve or two in Teddy. "O-of course not!" he cried out passionately, holding her hand to further prove his point. "I trust you with all of my heart." He threw a dark glare into Draco's form and he, in return, rolled his eyes. "You should have told me all you needed was a hug just to cure your illness. I can bloody well hug better than… than… _him_!"

"And that '_him' _is standing right here," he said in a dangerously sing-song voice, almost growling.

Hermione gently smiled and patted the hand that was holding her other. "I'm fine now, don't worry," she said.

"Do you want to have some tea, Hermione?" Blaise asked, diverting her attention back to him.

"Yes, please," she said, her smile widening.

Blaise rounded at Teddy and grasped his arm. "Let's go," he said but the pouting Slytherin wouldn't just budge.

"I'm not going to leave her with _him_," he cried out adamantly.

Draco rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time, his patience for his best friend running thin. "Oh for Merlin's sake, Theo!"

He strolled towards the other two blokes and not-so-gently slapped the back of Teddy's head. Theodore cried out in indignation, but was merely stopped by a chuckling Blaise.

"We'll be back soon, I swear!" Teddy cried before being pulled away by Blaise.

Draco was the last one to stride out of the room. Thankfully, he was still a little near to her bed; therefore, her hand shot up and wrapped around his wrist, stopping him completely.

He looked at her curiously, a perfect eyebrow arched higher than the other. Hermione shyly smiled and slightly tightened her hold with his wrist. "Thank you," she said earnestly.

She never knew how disarming she looked for him and he only nodded his head, breaking their gaze so that she would not see how his cheeks darkened.

"No problem," he replied. Hermione loosened her grip with his wrist and his hand fell limply back to his side. Draco sullenly thought his hand felt emptier now that she was not holding it.

An awkward silence settled between the two. Thankfully, Teddy's head popped back into the room.

"Oi, Malfoy!" he cried, pulling him out of the room. "Stay here or you'll die a perfectly slow death."

Draco rolled his eyes at Teddy's exaggeration and even caught a fond smile appear on Hermione's face. "We'll be back," he told her as his farewell before being completely dragged out of the room.

As soon as he was gone, her smile changed into a full one. Merlin, she'd never felt better than before! That was when she noticed that an extra comforter was wrapped around her body. Draco's, she guessed, and she secretly blushed, fingering the rich material of the Malfoy heir's comforter.

It smelled so much like him. She cautiously looked back at the door before lifting the said blanket to her face and inhaled deeply.

Yep, it smelled _so _much like him. And good Godric, it was so intoxicating.

"What is happening with me?" she thought aloud, letting the comforter drop back on her lap as she lied down on the bed, her mind consumed mostly of the blond young man who had just held her in her sleep.

"Maybe I'm still sick," Hermione murmured to herself, her cheeks abnormally warm, before falling back into dreamland.

* * *

**A/N: Well, that's the end. I hope I made most of you satisfied with a few of Dramione moments in this chapter :D**

**Golly gee, OaP will soon have 600 reviews and I'm insanely happy XD I mean, come on, more than a thousand? That's so awesome already *wink* *wink* **

**Speaking of 600, "11 Things" already reached that much reviews! Gah, I've finished that thing ages ago; I haven't even officially edited it, but still, I'm receiving more reviews. Goodness, people, you make me cry XD **

**So, allow me to thank all those who favorited, alerted, and reviewed Only a Pretense, 11 Things, and some of my other works. And also, I want to thank those who had favorited and alerted me :D THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

**That's it for now :D Until next time! Once again, drop a review!**

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe**


	32. Secret Mission

**Disclaimer: Eep, still not mine :D**

* * *

**A/N: Yay! Another chapter of Only a Pretense *wink* I think this is the longest chapter of the whole story. I'm not **_**that **_**sure, but, oh well XD**

**Anyway, I'll make this brief. Good god, it's still the second week of my senior year and things had been busy already. So, I can't afford to dilly-dally here. **

**A brief shout-out to my awesome Beta-Reader, **_**OnErrantry! **_**And yes, I've actually managed to "accept" all of the track changes now, so there's no need to be wary of the grammar here in this chapter. **

**So, without further ado, Chapter Thirty-Two!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Two: Secret Mission**

* * *

Dumbledore's head perked up as he heard laughing voices outside his office. They were followed by a loud shush, which had shut up the approaching Slytherins.

The Headmaster smiled, thinking fondly that these particular Slytherins had changed drastically since the start of the school-year. They were from the oldest and most powerful Pureblood families in the Wizarding World, those who believed that they were far superior to the other magical beings in the world, especially the Muggle-borns. It had not surprised him when he received reports from teachers and prefects that these three were bigoted, prejudiced Purebloods who would insult the poor people they deemed insignificant.

Hermione, being Muggle-born, was mostly on the receiving end of their insults. But this dear Gryffindor student of his was absolutely outstanding, being able to excel and even called the brightest witch of her year, surpassing all of the other students in the school.

The day the four of them came to him, Hermione's secret finally revealed, had made his heart swell with happiness. He had been adamant in telling his students to have unity, and to put prejudices and differences aside. And to see three Slytherins (the most bigoted, prejudiced ones of their year) and a once-Gryffindor, Muggle-born and best friend of Harry Potter, together and obviously caring for each other had proved that even the most different people in the world could care for each other as long as they put some effort into it.

Who knew Miss Granger's task would have such a profound effect on the people he had hoped to change the most? Dumbledore had fervently wished that these students of his would one day realize that having such ideologies could someday cause their downfall. And to see them finally awakened had pleased the old wizard.

"Headmaster Dumbledore?"

Hermione's head popped inside the room, a large smile on her face. The old wizard noticed that her cheeks were flushed with a lovely shade of red and her eyes were lit with happiness.

"Quit it, Draco!" He heard the Nott heir hiss, which earned him some shushing from the brunette.

Dumbledore's lips quirked up in an amused smile when he saw that Teddy merely gave her a boyish grin.

"Do come in, my dear students. Come in," he ushered. Hermione, trailed by her three Slytherin roommates, walked over the threshold and was soon inside the room.

"You called for us?" she inquired, plopping down on the chair across from the headmaster. She thought absentmindedly that she had seated herself on this chair countless times before, which made her smile.

Dumbledore waited for the three young men to sit down on their own chairs before starting. He wove his fingers together and leaned a little closer, his electric blue eyes twinkling in delight. "How are you?" he asked.

Her eyebrow shot up in surprise and she shot her Housemates a glance. The Headmaster saw how a small frown marred the Malfoy heir's face, how Blaise Zabini looked at him thoughtfully, and how young Mister Nott pouted at his question.

"Umm… we're fine, I guess," the brunette answered for the four of them, curious about Dumbledore's agenda.

"Good, good," the old wizard nonchalantly.

Silence settled in the room and the headmaster grew amused at how his four students fidgeted on their seats, obviously discomforted by his twinkling blue eyes and the mysterious smile on his face that screamed 'suspicious'.

"You may be wondering why I called the four of you here, in my office," he started. Draco rolled his eyes and pointedly stared at Hermione, who glared back at him in return, telling him to shut up with her toffee-colored eyes. "My dearest new spies," he said. This time, to the surprise of the four students, his usual serene smile broke into a huge, excited grin. "What do you think of a secret mission?"

Theodore Nott, the one he usually heard was addressed as 'Teddy', dropped his jaw in surprise. Hermione's eyes widened while the Zabini heir looked highly amused and curious at the same time. Draco Malfoy, on the other hand, knitted his eyebrows together.

"A secret mission, sir?" he inquired aloud.

Dumbledore nodded and leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving his students. "Indeed, Mister Malfoy," he said in reply. "A secret mission."

Out of the corner of his eye, the old wizard saw an excited grin stretch across Theo's face.

"A secret mission!" he exclaimed, seeming thrilled. "It sounds exciting…"

"… _and _dangerous," Hermione interjected, a frown appearing on her face.

Draco snorted on his seat. "Define 'dangerous' for us, Granger," he said. "I am sure you're _well-acquainted _with the concept, since you always encounter it."

"Draco," she growled threateningly under her breath.

"Now, now, Hermione, calm down," Blaise said, placing his right hand on top of hers, calming her.

Oh, how dangerously Draco's eyes flashed. Dumbledore noticed it, and felt all the more excited for this secret mission.

"All secret missions are dangerous, Miss Granger," the Headmaster said, breaking in to ease the tension between two of his best students. "Although, since there are four of you, the danger of this mission will be lessened somewhat, of course."

He brandished his wand and summoned an aged parchment lying a few feet away from them. Hermione, who was the closest, inspected the parchment and was able to make out some names and buildings – a hand-drawn map. She recognized a few establishments and gasped in surprise.

"Muggle London, professor?" she cried.

"What?" Draco cried while Teddy gasped in horror.

Dumbledore smiled and placed the parchment in Hermione's hand. "Yes, your secret mission will take place in Muggle London," he continued. Teddy's face paled. "According to another spy of the Order, there is an abandoned shack somewhere near the heart of London from which Death Eaters emerge to attack nearby Muggles." He grew pensive. "Alarming, indeed. The other Order members are supposed to be investigating today, but something came up, and they could not. And so I suggested the four of you, and they all agreed."

Hermione was watching Dumbledore carefully and noticed how his eyes landed on the other three Slytherins, an indescribable expression in them. The brunette thoughtfully looked at her roommates (who were reduced to silence) and mused about whether it took the headmaster a long time to convince the other members of the Order that the two new spies were on their side now and were not working to aid Voldemort.

"But Muggle London sir!" Draco cried, breaking Hermione away from her musings.

"Yes, that's what I said, Mister Malfoy," the old wizard said, smiling slightly.

"Professor," the Italian piped in, "Maybe it slipped your mind that _we _are Purebloods. And you are certainly aware that our parents support You-Know-Who's ideology. But maybe you didn't know, or are forgetting, that we are actually _forbidden_ to mingle with Muggles."

The smile on his face never disappeared. "And, Mister Zabini, you are quite forgetting that you are to be accompanied by a Muggle-born," he said, gesturing at the brunette. All eyes landed on Hermione and she, not knowing what to do, only smiled.

"I'm quite familiar with Muggle London, like most of the Muggles," she offered, giving them one of her smiles. Dumbledore noted how her smile seemed to have a calming effect on the other three.

"And thus," he continued, "I appoint Miss Granger here as your team leader." Her face practically lit the whole room. "You are to follow her orders no matter what happens. I trust that she will be a remarkable leader, and if you follow her, your mission will be undoubtedly accomplished."

"Granger's dream job," Draco whispered for Blaise to hear, but still audibly to the others. This earned him a smirk from the Italian, a small chuckle from Teddy, and a defiant glare from Hermione.

"Now," Dumbledore continued, clasping his hands together, "as Miss Granger here said a little while ago, this mission of yours is quite dangerous. We do not know whether Death Eaters will be lurking in that abandoned shack. Additionally, there are quite a lot of magical beings roaming around, undetected, in Muggle London. Hence, for safety reasons, I am requiring you to wear a disguise. Miss Granger, you can remove your male disguise and wear your bewitched spectacles. I trust your team leader to teach the rest of you how to enchant eyeglasses so that they could work like hers."

"Disguises?" Teddy mused aloud, an adorable expression on his face. "This mission of ours gets more and more exciting."

"Professor?" Hermione said, diverting the Headmaster's attention back to her. "What are we to do after we discover the shack?"

"Ah," he said, "I trust that you know how to conjure your Patronus, since young Mister Potter taught you during your fifth year." Hermione smiled, remembering Dumbledore's Army and their hidden training sessions right under Umbridge's nose.

'_Good times, good times,' _she reflected, and reckoned that the old wizard across from her was probably reminiscing too.

Dumbledore pushed his half-moon spectacles up the bridge of his nose and leaned slightly closer. "Please do send me your Patronus as soon as you proved that the abandoned shack is the one being used by the Death Eaters."

Hermione nodded, understanding. "Yes, professor," she said, offering him a small smile.

"Good," he said, now standing up from his seat. He clasped his hands and looked from one student to another. "I believe that each and every one of you is capable enough to defend yourself if danger arises. Each of the four of you are one of my best students… yes, Mister Nott, even you." He smiled, seeing the humbled look on Teddy's face, his cheeks coloring slightly. "Do remember to be careful. This shack is, after all, surrounded by dark magic."

"Now," he continued, walking over to Fawkes' perch and fondly petting his phoenix, "off you go. You are to be excused in your classes for the whole day. And if you finished your mission earlier than expected" – here, his eyes twinkled – "you can have the rest of your time as a break. Merlin knows how much you need it."

A chorus of "thank you"s emitted from the Slytherins' mouths as they stood up from their seats. They bid the old wizard goodbye before finally walking out of the Headmaster's Office.

* * *

"Nervous?" Hermione asked, mirth shining in her eyes, as they finally stepped out of the Leaky Cauldron. Car honks and bustling footsteps were distinctly audible from where they were standing.

Draco, who was the nearest to her, scowled and threw her a glare. "Shut up, nuisance," he growled.

Merry laughter bubbled out of her mouth and she started to walk out of the empty alley, her three roommates tagging along.

They had finally arrived in Muggle London and the journey from Hogwarts to the Leaky Cauldron was almost hilarious. Her friends seemed anxious. They could not really be blamed. After all, they had confessed that it was their very first time to step in Muggle London.

As Dumbledore had suggested, she had removed her disguise and donned her bewitched spectacles. She was wearing a white skirt up to her knees and a blue blouse under a jumper. She had transfigured the high-heeled shoes Harry had given to her into ballet flats after finding out how to in the library. Her hair was half-clipped-up, her bangs held firmly by her butterfly hairclip.

The teenaged boys behind her were wearing Muggle clothes Dumbledore was gracious enough to provide them with. Being rich spoiled Pureblood brats, all they had in their wardrobes were expensive, brand-name robes. So she'd had to do a double-take when all of them emerged from their room, looking as Muggle as anyone she had seen.

Hermione found it extremely unfair that her three friends could look _dashing _in any clothes that they wear. She had an inkling that they would be able to make a pillowcase decent if they were to don one.

Like her, they were also wearing bewitched glasses so that if they happened to encounter passing magical people, they would only think that the four of them looked familiar, but would not put any thought into it.

"Give me the map, Granger," Draco suddenly piped up. When Hermione looked back at him, he was brooding slightly, pushing his spectacles absentmindedly up the bridge of his nose. The brunette would never have voiced it to the other three, in fear of being misinterpreted, but good Godric, Draco Malfoy looked… _presentable _wearing glasses.

'_Biggest understatement in your whole life, Hermione Granger,' _a voice inside her head mocked her as she absentmindedly fished out the hand-drawn map in her pocket and gave it to the blond. _'Merlin's beard, the bloke is __**handsome**__.' _

Her cheeks colored in a lovely shade of red and she turned around, not wanting them to see her face.

"Are we there yet?" Teddy whined, his hands buried in his front pockets. "I'm hungry."

"We just had lunch, Theo," Blaise pointed out, looking over Draco's shoulder to also gaze at the map. "And besides, we can eat after this mission."

Draco looked up from the map and gazed around the busy Muggle street, his nose scrunching up in unconcealed disgust. "Is this _how _they work everyday?"

Hermione sighed tiredly, cheeks now slightly cooler, and slowed her walk. She fell into step beside the blond and looked pointedly at him. "If you are not going to say anything good, Draco Malfoy, I think it is best if you shut up," she threatened. "Leave the poor Muggles alone." She rolled her eyes and absentmindedly swung her arms.

The brunette looked all over the place and felt refreshed. It had been a while since she visited this place. Usually, during Christmas, her parents would bring her to this area and they would have a lovely dinner, visit one of the bookstores, and just talk about nonsensical things.

Her nostalgia continued all throughout their little journey. Despite the sudden longing she felt, she noticed the looks that they were receiving, mostly from girls, of course. A small smile appeared on her face as she looked at her oblivious roommates. Goodness, even in the Muggle world they attracted a lot of attention. She did wonder if they noticed or they just chose to ignore them.

Almost an hour passed and they still hadn't found the abandon shack. Teddy was growing restless, "bored to tears," he said. Draco was growing annoyed with the carefree Slytherin's constant whining. Blaise had to restrain him from hexing the blue-eyed bloke.

Hermione was growing tired herself. She had not been prepared to be a babysitter for the three Purebloods. When they said that they were "forbidden" in this place, they meant it. There were constant questions from the other three, mostly from Draco, and she was growing slightly annoyed answering them.

Teddy was a real pain-in-the-arse, although she did not comment on it aloud, not wanting to offend the adorable Slytherin. Hermione had to keep a firm grip on his arm, afraid that he'd run off and get trampled on by a hurtling car. He was almost hit by a cab and she had to restrain him from hexing the foul-mouthed driver.

"He's not looking at where he's going!" he protested and the brunette had to stop herself from saying that _he _was the one who was not looking at where he was going.

The brunette got tempted to enter a pet shop and buy him a leash, which she later on thought was plain silly. Teddy was just being his usual self… carefree… _childish_.

"You okay?" Blaise asked, noticing how her cheeks flared up in frustration. Her nerves calmed down upon seeing his charming smile.

"I guess," she said, offering a smile of her own in return.

The Italian spared a glance at his other best friends, who were once again bickering. He sighed and looked back at the brunette. "I'm sorry," he said. "I think we're giving you a hard time."

She chuckled. "Oh, you have no idea," she said.

The smile never left his face. "We're not really used to going here in Muggle London," he said, gesturing at the hustling and bustling people. "I think being around Muggles who had no idea that we possess magic in our bloods somehow… made them uneasy. Do you understand?"

Hermione sighed, glaring slightly at Draco and Teddy. "Yeah," she said. "But Merlin!" Her eyes almost popped out in exasperation.

"I know, I know," Blaise commented, grinning widely. The brunette couldn't help but smile once again.

"Good lord, I do not know how you can handle those two," she continued, jutting a thumb in their direction. "If I were to come here with them, _alone_, with no Blaise Zabini, I might have hexed them right there and then, Muggles be damned."

Blaise merely chuckled. "Hermione, I've finally mastered the art of ignorance, remember?" he said.

"Oh, right," she said, grinning back. "The art of ignorance. Maybe I should research about it, too."

"I can help you," he offered, his eyes shining with mirth. "I think I have a book or two inside my trunk."

"Minnie!" Teddy whined, suddenly butting in. He grabbed her arm and tried to envelop her in his arms. "Draco's being a bloody bastard."

The blond glowered, the green monster inside him flaring into life, as he grabbed the carefree Slytherin's collar and forcefully pulled him away from her. "Keep your hands to yourself, Nott," he barked out. "If I didn't know better, I'd have said you were taking advantage of the nuisance!"

Teddy looked affronted. "I am not!" he cried out, his cheeks flaming darkly.

Hermione rolled her eyes again at the two immature Slytherins. She could not believe that Draco Malfoy was being one. She expected so much from him. The brunette did wonder why there was a sudden change in the two's relationship. Before, Teddy looked up at Draco like an apprentice to his master but now, he seemed to be defying his every order.

'_What caused the change?' _she asked, missing the times when she would see Draco acting like a big brother to Teddy.

"Draco, Theo, really," Blaise said, suddenly halting in his steps. "You're attracting attention." He looked from left to right, then down to the hand-drawn map, before looking up again. "Shut up, we're here."

That stopped the other two's bickering. Both of them and Hermione looked in the direction that Blaise was looking, and as he'd said, they had finally arrived.

Hermione found herself staring at a shack, almost ruined by time. It looked as abandoned as the Shrieking Shack she'd seen in Hogsmeade. Although, unlike the Shrieking Shack, this abandoned place was reeking with dark magic.

"Can you feel it?" she asked, almost breathless.

"Yeah." It was Teddy who answered. The carefree Slytherin, growing pensive, stepped forward until he was a few meters away from the front door. He was about to reach for the door, but Hermione stopped him with a cry. "What?" he asked, looking behind him to stare at the brunette.

Hermione wordlessly bent down and picked up a rock. She gestured to Teddy to step away from the door, which he did. Then, to his surprise, Hermione threw the stone into the door. A force field seemed to stop the stone from hitting the door. Instead, it fell on the ground, sizzling, and half of it was burned into smithereens.

The brunette looked up and met Teddy's horrified eyes. "Th-thanks," he squeaked out.

She offered him a small smile, then looked at Draco. "Help me remove the barrier?" she asked. The blond, surprised she asked him, only nodded and wordlessly walked up beside her. "On the count of three," she said, brandishing her wand. The blond followed her and took out his wand from his front pocket. "One, two, three!"

They waved their wands in unison. A muffled crackle was heard and soon, it was gone.

Hermione stepped forward, switching into leader mode, then gestured them inside. "Follow me," she said. "And don't touch anything until I say so."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Stop being such a bossy bint, Granger," he said. "We know what to do."

"She's the leader," Blaise said, coming to her rescue. "Dumbledore told us we should follow her no matter what."

The brunette gave Draco a triumphant smile, in answer to which he merely sighed.

"Lead the way, team leader," he said sarcastically, gesturing to the door.

Hermione rolled her eyes but stepped inside nonetheless. Her nose instantly scrunched up. She backpedaled, her back slightly hitting Draco's chest. The dark magic was worse inside than outside.

"Oh goodness, how long did they use this?" she asked, suddenly feeling sick.

"I think it's best if we separate ways," Draco suggested, absentmindedly clutching her elbow as he gently forced her to look at him. "Let's get this over with as soon as possible, don't you think?"

"I…" she started, but quickly changed her mind. It was an extremely suspicious shack, and there would be a huge possibility that there would be hidden traps. But, like what Draco had said, she wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. And the best way to do that was to investigate individually.

"Just be careful," she warned seriously, eyes narrowed at her friends. And then, they started perusing the whole shack.

* * *

Their investigation, simply put, was fruitful. They had discovered some random objects which had once been used as portkeys. There was Floo Powder residue inside the unlit hearth. They even detected the Unforgivables. Hermione had been pale all through their search, being able to count that almost a hundred Muggles were killed inside this shack, there were seventy-three who'd had the Cruciatus Curse used on them, and if she was not mistaken, almost half a hundred were placed under the Imperius Curse in this abandoned shack.

Hermione had sent her otter Patronus to Dumbledore, telling him what they had found.

Before they left, Blaise had set up an alarm, which would be triggered if Death Eaters suddenly apparated. This alarm would be connected to Dumbledore's office, and if it was activated, he would report it to the Order so that they would be able to raid the abandoned shack.

They were outside now, roaming around Muggle London. Their investigation had only taken two hours; hence, when they walked outside, the sun was still shining brightly, and the Muggles were oblivious that the four teenagers had discovered something that could probably cause their deaths.

"How horrible," Hermione had murmured, face still pale.

"I had no idea about it," Draco said, a frown marring his face.

The brunette looked at him and smiled weakly. "I'm not blaming you," she said.

The blond looked affronted, although he did not say anything anymore.

"What are we going to do now?" Teddy asked.

Hermione sighed and shrugged. "I'm not really in the mood to roam around now. I actually want to go back." She gave them a sideway glance. "Is that all right with you?"

They did not object, being pretty dead tired themselves. "I think I'll have a nice, long nap," Draco nonchalantly commented, releasing a huge yawn of his own.

The brunette looked up at him and smiled. "I guess this is a new first for you, huh?" she asked. "Wow, imagine how the people will react. 'Draco Malfoy, heir of the Malfoy fortune, fraternizing with Muggles!' Ooh, I can already imagine how Harry will react."

Draco rolled his eyes. "It's not… exactly that bad," he said. He spared a glance at his other best friends and smirked. "We've imagined worse."

"Worse?" she asked, intrigued. "Like how?"

"Dropping dead after contracting their Muggle germs," Teddy piped in.

"_Or_, being burned at the stake as soon as we stepped outside," Blaise said, chuckling good-humoredly. "We always thought that they'd detect our magical powers as soon as possible, haul out their pitchforks, and tie us to a burning stake."

Hermione laughed. "That's ridiculous," she commented.

"Pfft," Draco said. "We, Purebloods had this idea that Muggles are dangerous. It's kind of like how they think that _we_, magical beings, will curse them to death."

She sighed. "Too true," she commented, swinging her arms in a carefree fashion. Her eyes were trained on her other three roommates and this time, flashed them a genuine smile. "But I'm glad I'm able to accompany the three of you in facing one of your… dislikes, I think. I'd always deemed the three of you… narrow-minded. You once were, no offense, but now…" Her smile practically lit her whole face. "I think you've changed. And I like that."

Her words were simple but the effect on the three of them was profound. Hearing those words, from the object of their affection, no less, held such great meaning. She had no idea how their hearts raced just looking at her gorgeous smile and hearing the words that came out of her mouth.

"Oomph!" she cried, snapping them out from their reveries. What they beheld was Hermione trapped in the arms of an unknown man.

The brunette gasped and looked at the face of the stranger. She immediately pulled away, embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she cried, cheeks reddening. "I wasn't looking at where I was going."

The man was looking at her strangely. Hermione noticed that he was rather good-looking, probably in his early twenties. She fidgeted under his scrutinizing gaze.

Suddenly, he broke into the most humongous smile she had ever seen. "Clara!" he cried. "I've finally found her!"

"Excuse me?" she asked, taking a step back. She bumped against Teddy's chest and when she looked up, his eyes were narrowed dangerously.

"Clara, make haste!" the strange man continued, calling excitedly. "I've found her! Oh goodness, I've found her!"

A pretty girl, probably the same age as the man came striding towards him, a huge scowl marring her beautiful face. "Gino, really," she said in exasperation. "You could have called me more subtly, you idiot."

"I've found her, Clara!" the stranger, Gino, cried, unfazed by her scowl. "She's _perfect_." He pointed at Hermione's direction and Clara followed his finger.

When her eyes landed on Hermione, she grew thoughtful, and, as the strange man had done, she looked at her from head to toe before breaking into a smile. "That's it," she said, walking closer to Hermione. "That's _her_."

She was finally in front of Hermione and she stretched out her hand, her smile still present on her face. "Hi, my name is Clara Applegate, a college student majoring in fashion designing."

Hermione, uncertain, grasped her hand and slowly shook it. "Hi, I'm… Minnie," she said.

"Minnie, a pleasure to meet you," Gino replied, pushing Clara off to the side. He grasped Hermione's still raised hand and shook it a bit enthusiastically. "The name's Gino Bowersox, a college student majoring in photography and for your information, I am single and _very _available."

He was audacious enough to give her a wink and she, surprised, merely blushed.

To Gino's surprise, a hand suddenly yanked her arm back. He looked up and met the mercurial eyes of a handsome young man, a large frown on his face.

"We're going home," the blond man said, tightly clasping her hand with his own. "A pleasure to meet _you_." He spat the last word as if it was poison.

"Now, now, Blondie, no need to be cheeky," Clara butted in.

Draco's cheeks flared. "Blondie?" he asked in disbelief.

The college female ignored the blond and for the first time noticed the other two blokes behind the brunette. "Gino, what if we included the other three blokes?" she asked. "They're not pretty bad-looking either. I can already imagine the output and I have this feeling it'll be epic."

"Yeah, yeah," Gino said. "You're the boss. Who am I to oppose you?"

Clara brightly smiled and looked at the other four. "I'm sorry, I think we are confusing you," she said, laughing melodiously. "As we said, we are a bunch of college students, looking for prospective models for our major project, and we happened to stumble on you, dearies. Please, will you pose for us? This will be real quick, I swear. Although, don't expect money. We're broke, so we are only looking for willing models who will do it for free."

"No," Draco said.

"Okay, only Minnie then," Clara deadpanned as she continued to gaze at the brunette. "You three blokes go home if you're all going to be spoilsports."

"Umm…" Hermione butted in, "we actually have to… go back now."

Gino came into the scene and practically knelt on the ground. "Please, _please _agree," he beseeched, holding both of Hermione's hand. "We've been looking around for ages and you've been the best one so far." A look of horror graced his features. "Blimey, I don't want to fail now! What will my poor mother say…"

Her resolve was breaking and they all knew it. Hermione always had this soft spot when it came to people who were afraid of failing, seeing as she hated it too.

"Nuisance, _no_," Draco said, glaring darkly.

"They promised to do it real quick, Draco," she said, peering at him through her long lashes. "Let's help them. Come on."

"No," he said through gritted teeth, hating her for looking so damn endearing now.

She harrumphed. "Fine, go back now if you're going to be a _spoilsport_," she spat, earning her a proud smirk from Clara.

"You heard the lovely lady, Blondie," she said. "Go home, you little bugger."

"Wait!" Teddy cried. "I want to come with her, too."

Hermione's face lit up in joy.

"And me," Blaise said. "I want to come, too."

Gino clapped excitedly. "Good, good!" he cried. "Oh, Clara, I can already imagine an A plus!"

Draco slapped his forehead. "Fine," he hissed. "I'm going back now, and nobody can stop me."

* * *

"What were you saying a while ago?" Hermione asked, a proud smile on her face as Gino and Clara, together with their other college groupmates, led them into a small studio somewhere in the heart of Muggle London.

"Shut up if you don't want me to hex you, Muggles be damned," Draco growled, cheeks colored darkly because of mixed embarrassment and anger.

"Aww, Draco, no need to be so huffy," Teddy cried, swinging an arm over his shoulder. "We're only going to pose for their project. It's not bad. Besides, you've posed _countless _times for The Witch Weekly and you did not protest."

Draco rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "That's different," he hissed. "_This _is different. Posing for Muggles! Oh Salazar, kill me now."

"Being melodramatic will get you nowhere now, mate," Blaise said, a charming smile on his face.

The blond harrumphed and rolled his eyes. He had been determined a while ago to leave the other three. After all, Hermione was accompanied by his best friends, and he trusted them to take care of her. But Draco forgot one thing – he had no idea how to get back to the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione had the map and he was too proud to ask for it in front of the two Muggles, especially that bastard Gino. He had another option, which was to hail the Knight Bus, but he'd rather eat a thousand piles of hippogriff dung than ride on that blasted bus once again.

And so he had no choice but to tag along. So far, the other three were thrilled to help. Clara, the feisty lady, was enjoying Blaise's company. Apparently, the feisty lady was a bookworm, too, and they ended up having a conversation about Shakespeare's famous tragedy, 'Macbeth'. Gino, on the other hand, was blatantly interested in Hermione. But as usual, the brunette was absolutely clueless about it. Thank Merlin Teddy was beside her, interjecting once in a while when he thought that the photographer was being a bit too… _comfortable_.

"Okay, dearies, attention please," Clara said, clapping her hands to get her attention. The seventeen-year-olds looked at the older woman and, satisfied, she continued, "Now, first, I am to dress up Minnie darling here and you blokes wait here for a while. She will pose for us first."

Before Hermione could protest, she was dragged off by Clara into a dressing room.

* * *

"Blimey, Applegate's taking a _long _time again," Gino whined, hugging his camera into his chest. He was seated on a table beside the three Slytherins. "I tell you, she's a bloody perfectionist. I bet your lady will be more beautiful than before."

He directed his eyes at the silent students and smiled. "Well, thank you for agreeing into this," he said. Upon seeing Draco glower, he raised up his hand in defense. "I'm sorry, I was telling the truth. We'll _fail _if we did not do our best into this. And this major project of ours is important for our future. You bunch of high schoolers haven't felt the pressure yet. Wait 'til college."

Gino soon grew silent and scrutinized the teenagers before him. They were good-looking, even from a guy's point-of-view. Despite the geeky glasses they were sporting, they were still presentable enough to look at. He bet that they were extremely popular in their school – a boarding school, they said, but did not give more details about it.

He was about to ask something more when Clara emerged, her cheeks flushed into a lovely shade. "Oh, Gino, she _is _perfect," she declared, pulling the hand of the brunette. "Come on, love, don't be shy."

Hermione emerged from the dressing room and a pin-drop silence settled around the whole room. Even their other groupmates, who were busy fixing the cameras and the lightings, had stopped what they were doing and stared blatantly at the brunette.

She was, simply put, _gorgeous_. Gino was right; she was more beautiful than before. Clara had done some Muggle magic, apparently. The college student was renowned for her simple, yet beautiful works. She had urged Hermione to put on one of her masterpieces and Clara had to stop herself from sobbing because of unadulterated joy.

The brunette had donned a black dress, which ended a few inches above her knees. A red belt was wrapped around her waist, flattering her curves. She was also wearing red high-heeled shoes ("They are darn high, Clara!") and a red headband to keep her curly hair away from her face. Finally, for her make-up, Clara had directed her make-up artist to put more emphasis on her full lips. Her make-up artist groupmate had done remarkably well, coloring her lips with a dark shade of red.

'Sexy' was what came out from Clara's mouth as soon as she gazed at the finished product, Hermione blushing furiously, feeling a little uncomfortable. "Nonsense, Minnie, you look _gorgeous_. You hear me!" the college student cried a tad enthusiastically. "You'll make all of them speechless, I tell you."

And speechless they were. Hermione's cheeks darkened a little more as she looked beseechingly at Clara, who only gave her a triumphant grin.

"Hello," she said, snapping her fingers in front of Gino's face. "Take pictures now, you idiot. Stop gawking."

Gino furiously blushed and went to his position, feeling a bit fidgety. Clara led Hermione in front of the white screen.

"Pose," she said.

Hermione merely blinked.

Clara tiredly sighed. "Put your hands on your waist," she said. "Come on. Good. Now, smile… oh, don't be ridiculous, Minnie! You can do better. Smile as if you are extremely happy. Think of something that made you really, really happy."

The brunette went thoughtful for a while and finally conjured a memory. It was the summer before their sixth year and she was in the Burrow. She was watching the Weasley family plus Harry play Quidditch in their pseudo-Quidditch Pitch. Ginny was the Seeker of one team and the other was Harry. Harry's group was leading, unsurprisingly, and the redhead was getting frustrated. They both spotted the snitch at the same time. And Ginny, using her femininity, had immensely distracted Harry and in the end, she had caught the snitch and they had won.

A small chuckle escaped from hers and she flashed the smile that had made the other Slytherins in the room absolutely breathless.

"Charming!" Clara cried as Gino captured her picture.

* * *

Hermione was done having her photo shoot, and now the other three were being fussed over by Clara. She smiled when she heard muffled exclamations from inside. She suspected that most of them came from Draco, who absolutely hated it when people told him how to look and what to wear.

She looked down at what she was wearing. She had finally changed from the rather "sexy" attire and was now wearing a simple blue dress that ended modestly on her knees. She had wiped off her extremely red lipstick, too, and replaced it with strawberry-flavored lipgloss, the one she usually used.

The three Slytherins finally emerged, interesting expressions on their faces. Draco was downright furious; Teddy was thrilled. Blaise, on the other hand, seemed calm as they approached the table.

"I see you're all alive," she joked lightly, noticing how their attires suited their attitudes. Draco was wearing an elegant coat and green tie, exuding his imperious attitude. Blaise, on the other hand, had donned a white-button down shirt with long sleeves and slacks – simple yet charming, just like him. And Teddy, ever carefree, was merely wearing casual clothes that made him adorable tenfold.

"Minnie and Teddy, please," Clara ushered, and Hermione stood up and followed Teddy.

Their shots were taken, carefree and almost… childish. Teddy was extremely adorable and Hermione couldn't help but smile widely at him every time they were asked to change to a new pose.

She changed clothes once again when it was Blaise's turn. This time, she donned a semi-formal white dress, which matched his. Their poses, this time, were entirely different from when she'd posed with Teddy. It was almost… sweet, Hermione thought. Blaise was being his charming self, flashing that charming smile of his.

And finally, there was Draco. Hermione felt strangely nervous when she emerged from the dressing room, this time wearing a dark green cocktail dress with silver accessories to match Draco's.

"Blondie and Minnie," Clara gestured to the front. Draco mutely glared and strolled in front, Hermione in tow.

They stood awkwardly in front of the screen. Hermione had no idea how to act around him. Blaise and Teddy's were easy. She knew their characters too well. But Malfoy, well, she had no idea. After all, he had so many different sides in him.

"Nervous, Granger?" he whispered for only her to hear.

Hermione looked scandalized. "I am not!" she retorted in a furious whisper. She willed her hands to stop shaking, balling them into fists in the end.

Her eyes then landed on his hands, which were closed as tightly as hers. A small smirk appeared on her face. "Nervous, Malfoy?" she asked teasingly. "Your hands are not relaxed at all, you know."

Almost immediately, he opened his hands. "I am not!" he cried back. She softly chuckled and he glowered. "Ah, so you're starting to act cheeky now, huh?"

Her smirk turned into a full grin. "Of course," she said nonchalantly. "I only learn from the best."

He glared for a while but it soon morphed into an all out grin. "I'm a good teacher then," he commented.

To their surprise, a blinding white light flashed and their heads whipped to Gino.

"Hey!" Draco barked. "We were not ready yet."

Gino blinked in confusion. "Really?" he asked. "Those smiles on your faces were really adorable. I thought it was your first pose."

Draco rolled his eyes and Hermione merely smiled.

"Now, pose another one for me."

* * *

"They are really something, huh?" Clara said, sidling up beside Hermione. "Those blokes with you."

The brunette diverted her eyes from the three to look at the older woman and smiled. "You have no idea," she said with a sigh.

"I'm assuming the four of you are best friends," she commented. "I've never seen such a connection among four people before, you know." A smile flitted on Clara's face. "My friendship with Gino's nothing compared to yours. Gino's a bloody bastard, but he's my best friend even if he does act like an idiot sometimes."

Hermione chuckled, looking fondly at Teddy.

"You're dating Blondie, aren't you?" Clara asked, almost accusingly.

Her cheeks flared up in embarrassment. "Oh lord, no!" she cried out. "Just… best friends."

"Really?" she asked, followed by an unladylike snort. "I swore with the way he looks at you…" Her voice trailed off and she shook her head. "Oh, whatever. He's a downright git, anyway. A woman who puts up with him is probably Wonder Woman incognito."

Hermione, despite her initial discomfort, chuckled under her breath. "Oh he's worse," she said, sounding a little teasing. "Far worse."

Clara smiled, and she fondly patted Hermione's hand. "You're the little sister I've always wanted," she gushed. "I wish my big brother would someday be magicked into a girl, and a younger one than me. But I love him to pieces, so he's fine just the way he is. He can be insufferable at times, though."

"I'm ready!" Gino exclaimed.

"Excuse me for a minute, Minnie," Clara said, walking away from Hermione to stand beside the photographer.

She then morphed into professional mode and directed her gaze at the other three. "Gentlemen, find your positions," she said, clapping her hands.

In the end, Teddy was standing in between the other two. "Now pose," Gino directed. The carefree Slytherin looked at his other best friends, at a loss for what to do, when an idea suddenly came into his mind. Happily, he swung his arms over their shoulders, catching them off guard.

"Smile," Clara urged. Teddy flashed his carefree one, Blaise his charming one, and even Draco allowed himself to show his infamous 'Draco smile'. "Lovely!" she cried.

Hermione's heart swelled while watching the other Slytherins. _'They do care for each other,' _she fondly thought, leaning against the table as they did their photo shoot. It was refreshing, watching them remove their inhibitions and just be… _them_.

"Minnie!" the college female suddenly said, cutting her off from her musings. "Come hither and I am to dress you up one last time."

* * *

This was it, their final shot. They were to shoot this together. The other three were wearing casual Muggle attire while this time, Hermione wore a red dress.

"Find your places, children," Clara directed.

The positions ended up that Hermione was between Blaise and Teddy, while Draco was standing beside Teddy.

"Now, pose," Gino said.

They looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Hermione only shrugged and smiled, directing her face at the camera.

"That's gorgeous, Minnie," the photographer commented. "You look gorgeous."

Draco rolled his eyes but did not comment at all.

"Idiots, what are you doing?" Clara called out, glaring at the other three. "Pose now, for heaven's sake! I know all of you are dead tired, and so am I. But am I complaining? I'm not."

"Feisty bitch," Teddy whispered under his breath, which made Hermione giggle.

"At the count of three, okay?" Gino called. "One."

Draco saw Teddy try to inconspicuously wrap an arm around Hermione's waist.

He saw red.

"Two."

Without really thinking about it, he slapped the back of Teddy's neck, and Teddy cried out in surprise.

"Three."

The camera flashed, capturing that moment forever.

"Oh, that was adorable," Clara commented, coming towards the four. Gino soon joined her side, hugging his precious camera against his chest.

"We cannot thank you enough," Gino said, bowing comically to show his immense gratitude. "We will undoubtedly pass this project of ours with flying colors, all because of the four of you. For that, we are eternally grateful, right Clara?"

The spirited lady smiled and held Hermione's hand. "It's nice meeting you, Minnie," she said, clutching her hands tightly. "I cannot fathom why you fraternize with these idiots, though. You're wasting your beauty!"

"Those 'idiots' can hear you," Draco said in a sing-song voice, seething at the older female.

"Because you're meant to, Blondie," she shot back. She pointedly ignored how his glare burned holes into her. "I'm really sad we're going to part now," she said, her attention on Hermione once again. "I'll seriously miss you."

The brunette laughed and patted her hand dotingly. "It's nice meeting you, Clara," she said. "This has been a great experience for the four of us."

"Wait! Before you leave, take this with you," Gino said, butting in, as he handed a photograph to Hermione. When the brunette looked at it, she recognized it as the last one they had modeled for, with an amused Blaise, a laughing her, an adorably pouting Teddy, and a glaring Draco. She couldn't help but laugh at the picture.

"Thank you, Gino," she said, smiling up at him. "It's nice meeting you, too."

The older male's smile practically lit up the whole room. He dramatically clutched her right hand and kissed her knuckles. "I'm single and available," he repeated once again. "_Available_."

"You've said that countless times, Bowersox," Teddy growled, pulling her hand away from his grip. "Back-off."

"Easy there, Teddy, buddy," Gino said with an easy smile.

"That's Theodore to you!" he barked out, which received an eye raise from Hermione. That meant Teddy _hated _him.

"Now, now, Teddy," Hermione said, clutching his arm to calm him down. "No need to be so fussy." She turned to Gino and gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry; he tends to be like that."

"No worries, m'lady," he said, smiling charmingly.

"Now, lover boy, go back to your photographs and choose the ones we'll use," Clara said, pushing Gino not-so-gently. "As for the four of you, go change into your own clothes and you can leave."

They changed as fast as they could and emerged from the dressing room. The crew was fixing up the studio now, with both Clara and Gino bent over a computer.

"We'll be leaving now," Hermione cried, waving her hand in farewell. She ushered the other three out of the room. Before she left, she pointed her wand subtly at the computer, so that if a magical person ever stumbled upon their photographs, they would not recognize them.

"Goodbye," Clara said, watching them as they stepped out from the room.

"Goodbye, Minnie!" Gino cried. "I'm _available_, remember that! I'm available!"

"You idiot," Clara said, hitting his head as soon as the other four were gone. "Stop pestering the poor girl. She's obviously not interested in you."

Gino scowled. "How could she not be? I'm Gino Bowersox, most eligible bachelor of our school. Girls fall down on their knees just to beg me to take them out on a date," he cried.

"Keep dreaming, Bowersox," she said. "And besides, Minnie's too intelligent to go out with the likes of you. Although, I must say that when it comes to guys, the lady's absolutely dense! Blimey, those three blokes had it bad. _Real bad_."

Gino nodded and sighed. "Too true," he said. "Too true."

* * *

"So… tired," Hermione yawned as soon as they arrived in their room. She walked blindly towards her bed and plopped down, quickly drifting off into dreamland.

"And she hasn't even changed," Blaise said, smiling fondly at her sleeping form.

Draco sighed. "It's entirely her fault for being dead tired," he commented. "If she wasn't too… too… _compassionate _we could have returned earlier."

Blaise chuckled while Teddy smiled goofily. "Well, if she wasn't _compassionate,_" the carefree Slytherin interjected, "then she wouldn't be Hermione Granger."

The blond snorted and slowly approached her bed. "I do not understand how Potter and Weasley stand her," he said. "All these years, gracing her bossy self."

The Italian nodded thoughtfully, also approaching her bed absentmindedly. "Come to think of it, she's weird." He paused and released a small chuckle. "She's different. Absolutely different."

"Yeah," Teddy agreed, nodding his head vigorously. "She's unpredictable, isn't she? You have no idea what she'll do or say next. Definitely different from the other girls we usually meet, don't you think?"

"Granger's so mind-boggling," Draco said with a resigned sigh, pulling out his wand and transfiguring her clothes into pajamas. "Sometimes, she makes me want to rip my hair out of my scalp."

Blaise smiled, and gently pulled the comforter from under her and placed it on top of her body. She snuggled comfortably under it and released a satisfied sigh. "Sometimes, she makes me want to overdose on tea in hope of calming my nerves down."

"Ha!" Teddy cried, removing her high-heeled shoes and placing them on the floor. "Sometimes, she makes me want to hug her tight just to shut her up."

"Pervert," Draco pointed out, running his hand absentmindedly through her soft curls to remove her butterfly hairclip.

"What? That's how I feel," the carefree Slytherin said, slightly pouting.

The Italian chuckled and pushed Teddy back to his bed. "We don't want to wake her up now, do we?" he asked. "She needs a good night's rest after being such a _compassionate _person today."

Draco rolled his eyes and strolled towards his bed, changing into his pajamas. Blaise smiled and went to his own bed, changed into his pajamas, and bid his other two best friends a cheerful goodnight. Draco answered with a grunt and Teddy with an equally cheerful goodnight of his own.

As they slowly drifted to dreamland, minds on Hermione Granger, they each secretly thought that she was absolutely perfect just the way she was.

* * *

**A/N: Aww, I loved this chapter. Haha, and it's Blaise and Teddy's first mission as spies! And, can I just say that I love Clara and Gino? XD Don't know how I came up with their characters but whatever. I just love them. Period. Or if you're British, Full Stop! **

**Anyway, how did you like it? Tell me in your reviews.**

**That's it for now. See you next chapter thirty-three! Again, reviews!**

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe**


	33. A Motherly Advice

**Disclaimer: Still not mine!**

* * *

**A/N: Yay! Another chapter of Only a Pretense! It's un-Beta-ed. My awesome Beta Reader is currently busy and so, if you spotted any grammatical errors and all, ignore them *wink* *wink***

**Anyway, without further ado, Chapter Thirty-Three!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Three: A Motherly Advice**

* * *

"You're late," Harry said, annoyed, as a flustered Hermione Granger entered the Room of Requirement.

"Well, for your information, I had a meeting with the Weasel," she grumbled out, plopping down on the couch. She stretched out her arms over her head and groaned. "Merlin, he's becoming more and more insufferable."

The-Boy-Who-Lived raised an eyebrow. "The 'Weasel' now, eh?" he asked, smirking. Hermione merely smiled and dropped her book bag on the carpeted floor. "I'm sorry for Ron's attitude. You know him…"

"Yeah, yeah," she said, waving a dismissing hand. She leaned her head against the backrest and sighed. "No wonder a lot of Slytherins hate his guts, too. The nerve of that bloody git. He's still mad at me for hexing him after ruining Blaise's potion, which was _eons _ago, and for being the reason why Gryffindor lost almost approximately fifty points! How mature, really."

Harry laughed and wrapped an arm over her shoulder. Her head ended up comfortably on top of his shoulder and sighed. "At least he isn't moping around anymore," he pointed out. Hermione made a disgruntled sound under her breath. "What will you feel if I say that they are finally moving on? Gradually, of course."

Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes at the ridiculous concern in the tone of his voice. "What kind of a question is that?" she asked, lifting her head to look at his eyes. "Of course, I'll be thrilled, Harry Potter! Do you expect me to be so fussy over the fact that they are somehow starting to forget the pain?"

The Gryffindor smiled sheepishly and fondly patted her hand. "How can you blame me?" he asked. "You're starting to act like a Slytherin more and more every time we have these secret meetings. Calling Ron the 'Weasel' is one proof."

She laughed and pinched Harry's cheek. "That's ridiculous," she said. "I might be slowly gallivanting to the 'Dark Side' but I won't forget my principles, Harry Potter. You know me better than that."

"Tsk, big words… OW! I was kidding!" he laughed and playfully enveloped her into his arms. "Oh, I missed you so! We haven't met for ages!"

She rolled her eyes. "Harry, we've met a week ago, what's there to miss?" she asked.

Harry pulled away and frowned. "We were supposed to meet yesterday, remember?" he said. "But no, you sent me a bloody owl stating that you have to spend the rest of your day with those _Slytherins_. Hermione, how could you? We're best friends! How could you choose their company over mine?"

"Stop being so melodramatic, Potter, it's annoying," she teased, a large grin stretched on her face. Harry's mock frown turned into a full smile. "How many times do I have to tell you that they are much better than we've thought? Well, okay because I'm one of them now but still… And besides, I didn't have a choice."

She comically looked from left to right before looking back at Harry, slightly leaning closer. Harry raised an eyebrow at her strange actions but before he could ask, she started to speak, "We had a secret mission."

"A secret mission?" he asked, astonished. "Yesterday?"

She smiled and leaned back, proudly crossing her arms against her chest. "Yes, and it was, simply put, very successful," she said.

He looked affronted. "Why didn't Dumbledore tell me?" he asked. "I've always begged him to give me some secret missions, even the simplest ones, but he downright refused because he kept on telling me it's _dangerous_. How come you and those spoiled brats were sent to one?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed. "We're four, Harry," she said. "I think it's more logical to send four people to a mission instead of merely one." She pointedly looked at him. "And if you were to tag along, I have this feeling you and the other three would have bickered incessantly, jeopardizing our mission. You said it yourself, Harry. It was _dangerous_."

Harry harrumphed. "Yeah, I don't even know how Dumbledore were able to convince the Order to trust those three… OW! Hermione, stop it!"

Merlin, she was suddenly seething. "If you further insult my _friends_, Harry Potter, then I'm leaving." She stood up and almost stormed out of the room when Harry's hand shot up and wrapped his fingers around her elbow.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down," he said, chuckling nervously. "I meant it as a joke."

She scoffed. "Jokes are half-meant," she stated matter-of-factly

Harry sighed, suddenly looking humbled. "I'm sorry," he said with utmost sincerity. "I honestly did not mean it."

Hermione stared at him stonily, until her resolve crumbled and she sighed, cracking a small smile. "I'm sorry," she also said. "I was being overdramatic. I did not know what possessed me to do that."

"I do."

Her eyebrows knitted together. "You do?"

He smiled. "Yeah. I mean, good Godric, those three blokes managed to squeeze their arses inside that heart of yours and forever implant themselves inside," he continued. "How they managed that? I have no idea." He playfully glared. "Being too compassionate isn't healthy, Hermione."

She raised an eyebrow. "And you are trying to imply…?"

"Nothing, nothing," he quickly said, smiling sheepishly.

A small chuckle escaped from her mouth. "Now, the real reason why I called you for this meeting is because I want to narrate to you what had happened in our secret mission." A mysterious smile appeared on her face.

"Go on, you've got me intrigued," Harry said, giving her his full attention.

"Okay, first and foremost" – she shifted on her seat to fully face Harry – "it happened in Muggle London."

'_One,' _she ticked inside her head, watching as Harry Potter's jaw dropped in unadulterated astonishment. _'Two… Three!'_

"MUGGLE LONDON?" he roared, his eyes widening. "M-Merlin, Muggle London?"

She snorted unbecomingly. "Yes, The-Boy-Who-Lived, Muggle London," she said." He grew speechless. "Oh, snap out of it, Harry. Don't be so surprised. Just because those three were once bigoted Purebloods doesn't mean they are now."

He pointedly looked at her.

"Ok-ay… maybe a little," she offered, still smiling. "But they're not _that _narrow-minded anymore. Although, it's hilarious watching Draco fidget on the street, darting curious and careful looks at the passersby. Oh lord, Teddy was… was… _untamable_." Merry laughter bubbled out of her mouth. "I honestly thought of buying him a leash so that he wouldn't leap off to Merlin-knows-where. Only Blaise seemed the calm one."

"Sounds fun." And he meant it. Judging from how her eyes twinkled and the huge smile on her face, she had fun yesterday.

"Ooh, that's not the end of it," she said. "Our mission, by the way, was to go at the heart of Muggle London and confirm if this was really used as a passage way by the Death Eaters who planned to attack Muggles."

Harry's face considerably darkened.

"I know," she said, making a face. "It was horrible especially after we made an estimation on how many Muggles had been the receiving end of the Unforgivables." She shivered in fear. "But don't worry, Blaise had set up an alarm. If triggered, Order members will instantly swarm inside and capture the Death Eaters."

She paused and took a deep breath, calming her nerves. A smile stretched on her face once again. "Anyway, Dumbledore had given us the rest of the time to roam around if we finished earlier than expected, which we did. But, we agreed to return as soon as we're done. We were, after all, dead tired."

Her eyes practically lit up in joy. "But that wasn't the end of it," she gushed out.

"Uh huh, go on," he said.

"Well…" she said, carefully choosing her words. "Two college students just materialized from nowhere. Clara and Gino, those were their names, were apparently looking for prospect models to pose for their major project."

"Models?"

"Yeah," she continued, her smile never disappearing. "Clara's majoring in fashion designing and Gino's photography. They, let's just say, practically _begged _us to be their models to spare them from failing. I couldn't help but allow them" –

- "What did I tell you about being too _compassionate_?"

"Shut up," she said, still grinning. "They were going to _fail_. You know how much I hated to fail myself. So, we helped them. Clara's delightful. Feisty, even. She's the older sister I've always wanted. And Gino… goodness, he can do wonders with his camera. Clara's a _wicked _fashion designer, too. Her clothes were classic: simple, yet beautiful."

Harry chuckled. "I can't believe they agreed to model for them. And Merlin, Muggles, no less! Oh, especially Ferret-Boy," he said. "I wish I had been there."

Hermione fondly patted his cheek as soon as a frown grew on his face. "You'll have your chance, too," she said. "Once you're under the ultimate limelight."

The Gryffindor scowled. "Yeah, as if I've always _coveted _to face off with the vilest, most powerful dark wizard of all time," he said. He smiled when Hermione chuckled. His scowl came back once again, full force, when the distinctive ring of the school bell was heard from their place.

"Well, there goes the signal," Hermione said, standing up from her seat. She shouldered her bag and ushered Harry to come out with her. "I guess I'll be seeing you… probably three days from now?"

"I'll owl you when I want to see you," he said, grinning. "_Or _owl me if you want to see me."

She grinned. "I'll keep that in mind," she said. "Later, Harry."

* * *

"Mister Malfoy, have a seat."

Draco did not bother to greet the old headmaster and instead trudged towards the empty seat across from the aged man, annoyed. Once again, Dumbledore had interrupted him from his break time. He was having a magnificent lunch, care of Zabini's previous house-elf, before a damnable school owl swooped down on his plate of steak.

"I apologize for how sudden my letter is but this is urgent," Headmaster Dumbledore said, smiling in amusement upon noticing how he scowled in frustration.

He plopped down on the stiff seat (_'Fucking piece of –'_) and only silently stared back at the professor expectantly.

"Now, you might be wondering why I called you here, Mister Malfoy," he continued.

'_Bingo, you nutcase,' _he bitterly thought as his stomach silently grumbled in protest for being underfed.

"But I assure you that what I am about to tell you is delightfully good."

Draco looked up at him, intrigued.

Dumbledore smiled and shifted on his seat, bringing his fingers together to look cheerfully at one of his best students. He would know how the boy would react to his sudden great news and just thinking about it made his heart swell. Oh, the Malfoy heir had gone through a lot of things now it would be a great relief to see him at least… happy over something he had wished for.

"I received a fire call from Healer Watson," he elaborated. He had noticed how the blond suddenly jerked up, his back ramrod straight with tension. "Oh, Mister Malfoy, you need not be worried. Like what I've previously said, I have _delightful _news for you."

"About my mother, I assume?" he said, his shoulders gradually easing. A look of slight worry appeared on his face, softening his features. "What about… her?"

The Headmaster had never beamed so brightly before. "Narcissa is doing fantastically," he said. "And Merlin knows I am not exaggerating. Apparently, the potion that they had been making her drink was absolutely effective and she had been recuperating quite fast, I must say."

The relief that washed over his features was tremendous even Dumbledore had felt it. "That's good to know," he managed to say, although the old wizard knew he was feeling _more _than that.

"I am allowing you to visit your mother, Mister Malfoy," he said, eyes twinkling when Draco's face visibly brightened with glee. "After all, she had been asking about you constantly and the Healers couldn't help but grant her wish. You are to leave as soon as possible, my dear student. _Now _is a wonderful time. You can stay with her as long as you want. I am informing your teachers that you might not be attending your classes. Although, you must be back on or before curfew. We are living in a very dark time and it is best if you stay here inside the safety confines of Hogwarts."

He nodded in understanding, gradually standing up from his seat. "I understand, Headmaster," he said. "I… want to see my mother now, if you may. I just have to run back to my room to retrieve something. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I'll be waiting," he said.

Draco bolted out from his seat and had to restrain himself from racing out of the room and going down to the Slytherin Dungeons.

"And Mister Malfoy?"

He halted in his steps and turned around, confusion on his face. "Yes, sir?"

A warm smile settled on the aged man's face. Draco was almost taken aback by his odd expression. But then again, _he _was Albus Dumbledore. He had discovered ages ago that the man was somehow eccentric than normal.

"I am thankful for Narcissa's speedy recovery," he genuinely said.

Draco froze from shock. And soon, he did something that had greatly surprised him. He had no idea what possessed him to act so out of his character. He probably blamed it on the good news he learned about his mother. Or maybe it was because of how Dumbledore was looking at him now, just like these grandfatherly figures he had seen in parks before, looking fondly over their grandchildren.

He smiled.

Oh no, not his usual sneer that he seemed to be sporting on his face for an awful time. He swore he was even born flashing that bloody expression on his face.

Merlin, he had _smiled_. The one he had tried so much to keep to himself in fear of embarrassing himself for making people discover that he had this ridiculous _dimple _on his face. The one he had no idea made Hermione Granger's heart stopped beating for a while. _Twice_.

"Thank you, Professor," he heard himself say before turning around and completely walking out from the Headmaster's Office.

* * *

"Mister Malfoy! What a pleasant surprise!" Mrs. Stone greeted, her lips stretched up in to a wide grin.

Draco, after scowling at the remnants of his journey through Flooing, looked up at the Welcome Witch and allowed himself to gently smile. "Mrs. Stone," he greeted. He absentmindedly brushed off the green ash from his expensive jumper as he approached the aged woman. "I'm here to visit my mother again."

If it was possible, Ellen's smile grew bigger. "Oh, I know, lad," she said. "I am just happy to know that the potions given to her are working." She looked over his shoulder expectantly but then frowned upon seeing that he was alone. "Where's that lovely lady you were with the last time you visited?"

He bit the inside of his cheeks, _hard_, just so he would not furiously blush in front of the woman. "She's a nuisance," he snarled, scowling. "I didn't bother to tell her about my mother." That was a huge, fat lie, of course. The excuse of running off to his room before going to St. Mungo's was purely because he wanted to tell… _her_. It had scared him to pieces to discover that he wanted to tell her _first _instead of Blaise and Theo. They were, after all, the first ones who knew about their current predicament.

But no, he wanted to run off to her and announce to her this seemingly splendid news. He had already imagined her reaction. Her eyes would light up in joy and her lips would stretch into a heart warming smile. "Oh, I am so glad, Draco," she would say. And him, being a sick, sick, bastard, expected her to throw her arms around his neck and hold him tight.

He had caught himself before he arrived at the Slytherin dormitories. He had mentally bashed his head, ridding off such ridiculous thoughts in his mind. He firmly believed that being in love with the most annoying girl in the whole wide world was very _unhealthy _for him. But then again, he had been in love with her for ages and he had this feeling that if he were to have a brief check-up in St. Mungo's, he'd be diagnosed as clinically insane.

Thankfully, she was not in their room as soon as he entered. He looked at his magical watch and noticed that it was time for their next classes and she, together with Zabini and Nott, were already probably in their classrooms, wondering where he was.

And so, he turned around and dashed back to Dumbledore's office, anticipating his meeting with his mother.

"Oh, what a shame," the Welcome Witch sighed, putting Draco back into reality. "I wanted to see her once again."

He sneered, which was reflex, really, after hearing such compliments from the aged woman. "Oh, trust me, Mrs. Stone, you'll grow crazy after talking to her," he said. "Talking about the history of magic and a hundred reasons why house-elves should be freed, or at least paid for their hard labor, would bore you to tears." He secretly thought of how beautiful she looked while passionately debating about the rights of measly house-elves.

He smiled.

And Merlin, Mrs. Stone knew _that _look. She was an aged witch; she had seen a lot of things all her life.

Even _that_.

"It's best if I go now," Draco sighed, distractedly running a hand through his hair. "My mother's waiting for me."

"Of course, my dear boy, go on," Mrs. Stone. "Don't let this meddling witch stop you."

The Malfoy heir nodded his head. "It's good to see you today, Mrs. Stone," he said. "I'll see you around." And with that, he jogged off towards the room of his mother and getting some reprimands from the Head Healer for running in the corridors, which was an absolutely no-no in the hospital.

Mrs. Stone fondly smiled at the boy, nay _young man_. She thought he'd do great things in life only if he stoppedchoosing to be alone in his life.

The Welcome Witch sighed and went back to work.

* * *

"Where's Draco?" Teddy asked, sitting down beside Hermione. Blaise was nowhere to be found since he had a meeting with Professor Flitwick and he'd be late for their next class, Potions.

Hermione sighed and looked up at Teddy, a frown marring her face. "He went to St. Mungo's," she said. Her frown deepened once she heard the huge concern in her voice. "To visit his mother."

"Oh," Teddy said, also growing worried himself. "Did something happen?"

"I have no idea," she said, watching as Snape briskly walked inside the room, not even bothering to greet his students.

"You are to start brewing your end of the school-year potions," he harshly barked, making poor Neville Longbottom flinch in fear. "And I am telling you that this will be one-third of your final school-grade. Hence, if you messed up with this potion of yours, bid a tearful farewell to your future." His eyes dangerously flashed whilst an almost sinister smile grew on his face. "_Unless_, you want to spend another year under me."

"That would be a bloody nightmare," Ron murmured as he lowered himself on the other side of Hermione. Teddy had run off to sit beside his partner, Dean Thomas, leaving her all alone with the Gryffindor bastard.

"Now start," Snape snarled and sat down on his chair, looking at each and every student in the room with hawk-like eyes.

Hermione sighed and stood up, not even bothering to wait for Ron. She had no time to put up with his jerk-ness (if there was such a word), seeing that she was busy worrying over Draco Malfoy.

'_Merlin, he went to St. Mungo's?' _she thought, gathering all the ingredients for Draught of Living Death. _'He could have asked me to accompany him again. After all, he perfectly told me he _hated _going to St. Mungo's alone. Well… not exactly hated but still…!' _She scowled, glaring at an irritated Ron. _'He could have personally informed me.' _

Her eyes gazed on Lavender Brown who was unfortunately partnered with Draco, bent over her Potions textbook and almost looked like she was in a state of panic. She couldn't be blamed, really. From what she had heard, the blond had chosen one of the most difficult potions to be brewed without consulting the Gryffindor. For her to work on it alone would be an absolute torture.

"Be quick, Austen!" Ron snapped, which she promptly answered with a glare of her own.

"I have no time for your tetchiness, Weasley," she dangerously snarled as she carefully placed the ingredients on top of their table. She pointedly noticed that their cauldron was already properly prepared. "And I have this inkling feeling that you want to be anywhere beside me - ."

" – you have no idea - "

" – _so, _let's strike a temporary deal, shall we?" she said, glaring at him through her eyelashes. "I work silently. _You_ work silently. I won't insult you. _You _won't insult me. I want our potions to be as accurate as possible and not jeopardize my grade and so… we'll shut up and quietly work on our potions. Is that okay?"

Ron's eyes were narrowed dangerously at Hermione, scrutinizing her face for a long while. Hermione grew uncomfortable under his gaze and discreetly looked away in fear of being recognized. Which was farfetched, of course. Ronald Bilius Weasley is known all over the castle as the daftest person in the whole school.

'_Or is it Teddy?' _she absentmindedly asked herself. _'Nah, _Ron's _still the daftest. Hands down.' _

"Fine, Austen, as long as you stick with your part," he spat, clutching a knife and started to acquire the juice of the sopophorous beans.

"Fine," she huffed, clutching another silver knife and worked on cutting the valerian roots as precisely as possible.

* * *

He nervously paced back and forth in front of the door. His eyes kept on flickering on the doorknob, taunting him to open it. He had to constantly gulp to swallow the lump forming in his throat.

Draco softly cursed, thinking if it really was a good idea to venture in St. Mungo's alone. He had to stop himself from running back to the Hogwarts castle, finding Hermione Granger, and dragging her with him back to the hospital.

He couldn't be blamed. Her calming effect on him was _tremendous_. One proof was when she accompanied him to St. Mungo's weeks ago. Her mere presence had put his mind into ease.

Fed up with his silliness, he halted in front of the door and finally grasped the gleaming doorknob. He turned it open and slowly pushed it to enter.

"Mother?" Draco feebly asked.

To his immense relief, Narcissa was wide awake. She was once again seated on a chair just beside the large window of her room, gazing unfocusedly outside. She looked up when Draco entered and called for her.

The blond backpedaled, surprise clearly etched on his handsome face. His mother, he reckoned, never looked so better ever since he and Dumbledore brought her to St. Mungo's the day she was cursed mercilessly by his bastard father. Her cheeks were lovely with red and her blue eyes were twinkling brightly with irrepressible happiness. Her lips quirked up as soon as her eyes landed on him.

Merlin, he had never seen his mother so beautiful before.

"Draco," she said, managing to stand up from her seat.

He quickly joined her side and gently clutched her right arm. His eyes widened in surprise when his mother suddenly wrapped her arms around his torso and started to sob.

"What is it?" he asked, alarmed. He pulled away from her hug and stared intently at her moist eyes. "What is it, Mother? Are you okay? Do you feel any pain?"

She released a melodious chuckle and daintily wiped her cheeks. "Oh, I am being silly, my dearest son," she said. "Tears of joy, I believe."

A smile of relief stretched on his face as he steered her back on her bed. "Mother, really," he said, also chuckling softly under his breath. "You're acting like you haven't seen me for _ages_. I've visited you weeks ago."

"I just missed you, love, that's all," his mother said as she allowed him to sit her down on her bed. "Oh, your mother is being plain silly today. I believe that the potions they are forcing me to take have side-effects and being emotional is one of them."

Upon hearing the word 'potions', a smile brightly lit his whole face. "I've heard the potions were working, Mother," he said, comfortably sitting down beside her. "I'm… glad."

Narcissa smiled and fondly patted his cheek. "Even though you don't tell me, Draco, you're more than _that_," she said, chuckling under her breath when Draco sheepishly smiled back. She knew her son was not really a fan of spilling out his emotions. He had to struggle in saying that he was 'glad' she was getting well due to the potions given to her. But to see him at least trying was enough to warm her motherly heart.

"How are you, my darling?" she asked after moments of silence. "I assume that you are doing quite well, though a little… stressed out than the last time I saw you."

Draco sighed and absentmindedly ran a hand through his hair. "Well, this week had been hectic," he said. "NEWTs are looming and I swear, the teachers are becoming more and more merciless." He gave her a sideways glance, one that held unadulterated worry, and continued, "The… Dark Lord's been demanding us to work harder. The new Death Eaters are now using _humans _for their trainings."

"That's horrible," Narcissa said with a gasp, placing a hand against her chest.

He sighed once again, this time because of frustration. "He's a monster, Mother, what do you expect?" he snarled, unable to contain his fury towards the Dark Bastard.

"And how are your friends coping?" she asked, watching as his eyes darkened.

"Fine… I guess," he slowly answered back, unsure with himself. He was watching both Theo and Blaise ever since they started to use humans. They were, simply put, magnificent. They did know how to use the Dark Arts after years and years of being taught by their families. But underneath all those cool pretenses they have, he could see the restraint and anger in their eyes every time they were faced with another punished Death Eater. Teddy had awakened him countless times before because of his constant screaming – he was having nightmares. And Blaise… he had to turn a blind eye every time he would excuse himself and rush to the kitchen to drink a huge dose of tea to calm his frayed nerves.

And Hermione… good god, he had to restrain himself from binding her in her bed and refusing for her to accompany them back to the Malfoy Manor. She was the most wretched of all. Oh how her face paled every time they returned back to Hogwarts after grueling hours in the dungeons, torturing innocent (or not-so-innocent, really, seeing that they were still Death Eaters) despite the fact of wanting to save them. _Badly_. Her Gryffindor side, the righteous one, would always be the dominant trait in her every time they were to have their weekly trainings. He could see how she struggled to utter a soft _'Crucio' _from her pale lips just so she would not be suspected as a person that defied the Dark Lord's orders.

That was why he made it a point to be constantly beside her, or at least have her in the line of his vision. Merlin forbid but he would be unhesitant in killing all those Senior Death Eaters if she were to be busted and brought to the Dark Lord to be rightfully punished.

The girl was very strong, he observed. Her resolve in doing good, in hiding wonderfully, just so she could save her parents made him love her all the more. Both of them were doing something they absolutely hated just for the people they loved. But still, she was the _stronger _one. Draco had grown up from a very hateful family, raised up by a bastardly father. It would not be hard for him to act bastardly, too, just to hide his secret of being a spy for the Order. But Hermione… she was different. She was innocent.

_She was pure_.

Her heart was never corrupted by such dark experiences he was forced to undergo. But she had not broken; not even once, even though there were numerous times when she closely did.

Because she loved her parents. And that thought alone had fueled her steadfastness and did something she absolutely loathed just to see them safe from Voldemort's clutches once again.

"Son?" Narcissa's soft voice rang all throughout the room. "Is everything all right?"

He forced himself to momentarily forget about her, pushing his great worry for her at the back of his muddled mind, and looked at his mother with a tired smile on his face. "Yeah," he wistfully said, running a hand through his hair.

His mother looked at her son with such empathy; it was almost heartbreaking, in Draco's opinion. "I'm sorry," she said after moments of contemplation. "I am terribly sorry, my dearest son."

Draco looked fairly surprised. "Why?" he asked. "You don't have to apologize, Mother."

"Oh, if I have been brave enough to defy Lucius' orders, you would be happy now," Narcissa said.

His eyes darkened, his limbs stiffened, when he heard the most loathsome man in the whole world (Voldemort was never a man; he was the most loathsome _being _in the whole world). "Don't blame yourself, Mother. It's that _bastard's _fault. Not yours."

"Draco…"

"STOP!" he found himself yelling angrily, startling his poor mother. He realized his sudden outburst and he brokenly sighed, ashamedly staring at his hands. "Just… stop, Mother. _Please_. Don't even bother covering up for that… that poor excuse of a father because nothing can ever convince me that he's still my father."

There, he had finally said it. As much as he loved his mother with his whole heart, he sometimes could not help himself for getting angry with her all because she defended her husband's evil acts. He couldn't blame her at times, really. Goodness, she loved him _unconditionally_, although he had no idea what was so loveable with Lucius.

"I-I'm sorry," he stuttered out, his cheeks coloring as he looked up at his mother beseechingly. "Can we talk about anything besides _him_?"

Narcissa, eyes shining with worry, nodded her head in agreement. "I am sorry, Draco," she said. "I shouldn't have…" Her voice trailed off and she sighed.

Just then, her head perked up and her eyes traveled at the door, an expectant look on her face. Draco, confused, looked at the line of vision of his mother and frowned upon seeing nothing.

"What is it?" Draco asked.

The Malfoy matriarch looked slowly at his son, a knowing look on her face. The expression she was sporting threw him off guard, seeing that she was being emotional one moment and devilish the next. Draco seriously did not like the look on his mother's face.

"Where's that lovely girlfriend of yours?" Narcissa asked, pointedly noticing how his cheeks colored quickly. "Minnie?"

Something flashed in her eyes, which he could not fathom. "I left her behind," he said, scowling at his ridiculousness. "She's a nuisance."

To his surprise, merry laughter bubbled out from his mother's lips. "Oh, drop the act, honey," she said. "Although I cannot understand why you introduced me to her as 'Minnie'. Probably your term of endearment?"

He grew confused. "What are you on about, Mother?" he asked.

Narcissa rolled her eyes (and managing to still look beautiful) and sighed. "My son," she said. "I am your mother. I know you more than anyone else here in this world. And I do know if you are being accompanied by the girl you love the most."

His cheeks inflamed. "Mother!" he exclaimed.

"She was Hermione Granger, wasn't she?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement. "_The _Hermione Granger? The one you've been whining about as being the most insufferable, know-it-all girl you've ever met in your whole life."

His blood ran cold but he stubbornly stayed silent.

"Draco, you are talking to your mother," she said. "You cannot fool me, of all people. The glasses she was sporting weeks before was a bewitched one, wasn't it? Clever girl… I did not recognize her until you looked at her. I distinctively heard from Albus that she was the brightest girl of her generation, even topping my intelligent son."

"Mother!" he cried this time, mortified.

Narcissa chuckled and patted his hand. "Draco, the moment you looked at her, I knew," she said. "_I knew_. You've met a fair amount of girls in our Malfoy Balls but the looks they received from you were all the same. _Except her_. Hermione Granger… My, oh my, how she grew up so beautifully! And here I thought she was exceptionally charming on this photograph of her you've been secretly hiding in your dresser. The photo was taken on your fourth year, right? The Yule Ball?"

He blushed so furiously now he was even driven to stand up. "MOTHER!" he bellowed, embarrassed beyond comprehension. "How did you… MOTHER!"

"Do not shout at me, young man," Narcissa lightly scolded, seeing how he blubbered out like a silly fish out of water. "I am merely stating a fact about my future daughter-in-law."

Draco could not believe the nerve of this cheeky woman right here in front of him. "MOTHER!" he cried once again. Maybe the potions they were forcing her to drink had made her feistier, too. Oh, how he missed his mother. But really, she was being insufferable now.

"She wasn't your girlfriend, was she?" Narcissa continued, reveling this embarrassing moment of her son. After all, that was what mothers are for – to embarrass their children. "I've figured it out when she herself was surprised when you introduced her to me as one. Although, I cannot blame you, my dearest son. She is, I repeat, the woman you love after all."

He groaned so loudly and hid his burning face behind his hands. "Mother, please," he cried, his voice sounding strangled. "Stop. This is… this is… _embarrassing._"

Narcissa melodiously chuckled and stood up. She tried to pry off his hands from his eyes until he finally relented. She forced his mercurial orbs to stare directly into her eyes and she smiled. "I am glad to see that you are both in good terms now," she sincerely said. "I have never seen you so happy before, Draco."

Despite his embarrassment and despite how he wanted to strangle his mother (really), he smiled. Because it was absolutely true. She was Hermione Granger.

And she made him happy.

"So…" Narcissa said, a sly smile on her face. "How were you able to manage to get that lovely photograph of hers?"

His face screwed up with unadulterated horror. "MOTHER!" he cried yet again and Narcissa released a few, happy chuckles.

"Your mother is merely playing around, Draco," she said. "Although I do wonder. You're not really good at hiding. It's a surprise your father hadn't seen it yet."

He chose to ignore that comment of hers. "Mother," he sternly said, "you have to promise me you'll keep that discovery of yours, of 'Minnie' being Hermione Granger, to yourself and only yourself. Do you understand me?"

She looked highly surprised and curious at the same time. "And why, may I ask?" she asked.

Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's a long story, Mother," he said. "You should not actually know about her being Hermione Granger, you know. Here, in this Wizarding World, everybody knows that Hermione Granger's… _dead_."

"Dead?" she gasped, placing a hand on her heart.

The younger Malfoy remembered his mother was too sickly to hear valuable news in the magical world. "Yes; thus, the disguise she wore the last time she visited with me," he said. "It's startling, Mother, I know. Trust me, I was shocked beyond anything when I discovered that my roommate was merely disguising as a guy and is actually Hermione Granger."

"Oh my," Narcissa said, now thinking of the lovely girl that visited her. "I am sincerely sorry for that poor, poor girl. How is she coping, my son? Tell me."

"Err… fine?" he said, uncertain. "I'm not really sure, Mother. She's Granger. She's unreadable and definitely unpredictable. But she's okay, I guess. Although she had her moments."

He fondly remembered that times when she would be in an accident and he and his other best friends, most especially him, had to save her from danger.

Narcissa had seen the new expression on her son's face and smiled. Seeing Draco so, so _happy_, she guessed, made her all the more thankful for the lovely brunette.

"Please," she said, "if you are to visit me the next time, please bring her with you. I promise to be as cordial as possible."

He scowled. "After what you showed, Mother, after how easily you've embarrassed me, I think not."

"Oh, don't act so immaturely now, Draco," Narcissa scolded, clucking her tongue. "I just want to know her more." She looked at the magical watch on her wall and sighed. "Now, I think it's best for you to run off now. You know Albus and how he worries. I will not be surprised if a bunch of Aurors burst here in my room to see if you're still alive and healthy."

Draco smirked. "He's a worrywart, Mother. That nutcase," he said.

Narcissa lightly glared. "You know he is anything but, Draco," she said. "He's the greatest wizard."

The blond chuckled. Narcissa sounded eerily like Hermione. Or was it the other way around? He did sometimes think that the brunette acted so frighteningly like his mother he had to restrain himself from muttering _'Finite Incantatem' _to see if his mother was merely disguising herself as Granger.

"I'll be seeing you as soon as I can, Mother," he said, giving her a kiss on her forehead. "I am sincerely glad to see that you are recuperating wonderfully."

Narcissa hummed for her reply and gently gave him a butterfly kiss on his cheek. "Remember that your mother loves you the most, Draco," she fondly said, patting his cheek.

Draco grinned. "I'll keep that in mind," he said, turning around. But then, his mother had stopped him.

"Keep her, Draco," she advised. "Please, _please_, give your poor mother a favor and keep her."

"Mother…" he said, turning around, showing his inflamed cheeks.

She raised a hand, halting him. "Oh, I am your mother, Draco. It is undoubtedly cliché but I know what's best for you," she said. "And Hermione Granger makes you happy. _I _want you to be happy. So, do not let her go. I have never seen you this happy before."

Now, Draco would normally snap at his mother, saying she was being silly and he and Hermione Granger were not together and would _never _be together (although, his damnable heart longed to; that fucking _traitor_). But there was something in Narcissa's eyes that made him bite his bottom lip.

Sweet Salazar, the woman was _serious_. And Draco had this inkling feeling that if he were to contradict her request, he would be limping back to Hogwarts. Narcissa Malfoy looked frail and weak and all that bloody nonsense because in truth, Draco had seen her hold a wand, and Merlin, he started to _slightly _fear his mother (Although, he had no idea why she did not defend herself when Lucius cursed her).

With a sigh, Draco ran a hand through his hair and answered a meek, "Fine." And with that, he turned around and walked out of her room back to Hogwarts.

* * *

Hermione looked from left to right and then released a sigh of relief upon seeing that she was alone.

Moaning Myrtle was nowhere to be found, which was surprising, seeing that this was her loo. A smirk appeared on her face upon eavesdropping on a conversation between two portraits about how the annoying ghost _flirted _with another ghost at the other end of her loo. And to further surprise her more, the male ghost flirted _back_. Hermione amusedly thought that death be damned, Moaning Myrtle might actually be getting her happily ever after.

The brunette settled herself on the floor underneath one of the sinks and retrieved out her Muggle notebook and pen. These things were actually handy; she had no idea when Dumbledore would think of promoting the usage of bounded notebooks and pens whose inks were actually _inside_. It would be less time consuming and less messy if the students were to use the two supplies for their note-taking.

Now, it must be suspicious as to why she had chosen the loo, of all places in the whole castle, as her current 'abode'. Spending time in the library would be dangerous. Spending time in their room would be _extra _dangerous. Her roommates, she long discovered, were too nosy for her own liking. Especially Draco Malfoy.

Oh, especially _him_.

Satisfied, she uncapped her pen and opened her notebook, leafing through until she reached an empty page. She pressed the tip of the writing material, thoughtful, before devising another plan.

* * *

**A/N: And done! How did you like it? I personally liked the part when Narcissa was saying embarrassing things about Draco's love for Herms and all the blond could say were indignant "Mother!"s XD**

**Haha, anyway, this would be brief! I still have a homework in Trigonometry. So, thank you for all those who reviewed the last chapter! I mean, wow, OaP has finally reached 660 + reviews and reaching a thousand is so near… but I won't hope too much =)) **

**Oh, and now that the next chapter is the thirty-fourth, Merlin Almighty, my dear readers, things would get… interesting, for lack of a better word. As for the meaning of my "interesting", it's all up to you how you interpret it XD Haha, I know, cruel, cruel me *blows raspberries* **

**That's it for now! Again, reviews :D**

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe**


	34. Consequences

**Disclaimer: Still not mine.**

* * *

**A/N: WOW. We've finally reached **_**this **_**chapter. *Sobs* That's all I could say. Anyway, I'm not going to make you wait any further. So, I present to you, chapter thirty-four of Only a Pretense.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Consequences**

**WARNING: Character Death. Yes, there's one in this chapter. I've warned on the VERY first chapter, mind you. And so, ready tissues, I think.**

* * *

She could not believe this.

Not. At. All.

'_Why now?' _her brain screeched at her sheepish heart. _'Why the bloody hell did you suddenly think of… DAMN YOU!' _

Oh, how her logic cursed her heart. And she was allowing it because good Godric, it deserved it. Her blood-pumping organ deserved it tremendously and she would not even do anything just to shut her bloody brain and listen to the reasons – ahem, _excuses _– pleaded by her blasted heart.

Hermione Granger was tucked unnoticed at the farthest corner of the whole abandoned loo, feeling miserable and lost. Her Muggle notebook was long neglected, seeing that the plan she had furiously devised on was finally done. Her pen sat immobile beside her notebook and if it were to posses eyes, it would be staring at her in confusion.

Because right there and then, Hermione knew she had gone mad. Insane. Off her rocker. _Barmy_. She was a bloody madwoman as she sat there on the dirty bathroom floor, horrified beyond comprehension.

She had no idea why her heart suddenly claimed something as… as… _ridiculous _as that! Just this morning, she was feeling a little excited for her plan tonight at their Death Eater training, and then, one look at the blond hair of her roommate… _BAM_! A sudden revelation dawned on her and her heart, feeble as it was, confessed her deepest, darkest secret.

The brunette could not fathom why she just realized that, of all days. Merlin, she could not fathom why she would suddenly realize such a… an impossible thing for Draco Malfoy.

'_FOR DRACO MALFOY!' _she screamed inside, wanting to wring her bloody heart until it stopped beating anymore.

She liked him… Goddamnit, she _likes _him.

The idea was so sudden and so overwhelming; she had to repeat it again and again in her mind just to convince herself that what she had thought was real and her heart did not even protest at all!

She guessed the trigger for such thoughts started yesterday as soon as he returned from St. Mungo's. He had greeted her with that silly 'Draco smile' of his and her heart fluttered in pleasure, reveling over the fact that he was directing such an adorable expression to _her _and _only her_. Teddy and Blaise were nowhere to be found. It made her confused that he had gone straight to her, his best friends be damned.

And then, he told her that his mother was recuperating brilliantly. It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to know that the smile he was giving her was all because of his mother's sudden good health.

Hermione was, of course, exactly thrilled for him. Merlin, the poor boy had been miserable for ages every time he visited his mother. And to know that the reason for his misery was starting to get well, she was happy for him. _Undoubtedly_.

And then, the bastard had done something that gave her the reason for her horror – he hugged _her_. The nerve of the bloody ferret and she, ever the _intelligent _one, merely stood there, stock-still, her wit thrown off the window.

Good lord, how his body felt warm. How his arms were strong around her waist. He had blubbered out how happy he was, even laughing stupidly over something she could not fathom. And still, he had not realized that he was hugging her… _her _of all people!

"Hermione," he had said. "I am very, very happy today."

And that was it. The sole reason why her heart suddenly succumbed to its foolishness and made her realize that she liked Draco Malfoy.

He had pulled away from their hug, that goofy (_'Bloody adorable'_) smile still on his face, before bidding her farewell and bounding off to find Teddy and Blaise, leaving the brunette alone.

And so, she sought comfort in Moaning Myrtle's loo (the ghost was still nowhere to be found) and wallowed in self-pity.

She guessed her feelings for him – her liking him – had always been in her heart, only pushed mercilessly aside in fear of being known and making her all the more insane. Last night's events were probably the reason why her heart's resolve broke and made it known all over her body system that she fancied Draco.

Nay, not love. Love was too strong a word. She had just truly known him for almost a year now. But then, 'fancy' seemed like a foolish word; even a bit… insulting. These feelings she suddenly realized she had for him were too deep to be called 'fancy' but too shallow to be called 'love'. If that even made sense.

'_So that was why I had been having these weird feelings inside me every time I see him,' _she glumly thought, drawing her knees to her chest. She placed her chin on her knees and closed her eyes, sighing. _'I should have known and did something about it.' _

The fact was, as much as she delved into it, she wouldn't have known until she fully grasped the concept of her feelings for him. Harry had bluntly told her that she was as stupid in the subject of love and boys as Ron was stupid in his academics. And that was saying something.

'_Why now?' _she moaned inside. _'Why _him? _He's bloody insufferable, for goodness' sake!' _

That was a lie back there. Sure, he had his moments of being the most insufferable bloke that ever graced the Earth but again, she had known him more. He had other sides in him besides being insufferable. And she found herself liking him for that.

How would she face him now after this huge revelation? He was her roommate, after all. What would she do if in a sudden moment of foolishness, she would fall down to her knees and declare her undying love-but-not-really-love-because-it's-too-early feelings for him and be forced to face - unarmed –his rejection.

Pain stabbed mercilessly into her heart and she released a shaky sigh. _'This isn't healthy,' _she thought. _'Not at all.' _

Hermione reckoned she was just a bit too immersed in her study, momentarily making her heart a bit weak with the cruel jokes of her hormones. Probably, it was her hormones-at-work. She was a teenager, for goodness' sake! And her stupid heart, tired from her all-nighters, grew gullible and succumbed to its traps.

"Yes," she said, growing hopeful herself. "Maybe this is just a bloody phase in my life. He's Draco Sodding Malfoy. I'm a liar if I say he's not exactly… _appealing _to my eyes. And my overactive hormones just grew excited after years and years of being deprived from testosterone-induced species."

The brunette sighed and clutched her notebook. She had no time for silly feelings for a silly boy whilst making her act like a silly schoolgirl. She had important matters at hand and she couldn't afford to distract herself from it.

Today was a Saturday and as usual, it was another day for their Death Eater trainings. She was growing restless, if she were to describe her current feelings towards her mission. The end of the school-year was looming and it was her deadline. If she were to neglect her work, two things would happen: a) Voldemort would successfully retrieve the secrets of the Order and b) her parents would drop dead. Thinking about the consequences of her failure was not exactly the most pleasant thing to think of.

The brunette sighed again as familiar giggles from Moaning Myrtle floated all throughout the room, followed by a deep chuckle from a male.

"Oh, Lonesome Larry, silly you," the female ghost giggled, followed by a contented sigh. Her smile faltered upon seeing the brunette on the floor, eyeing the two lovebirds with wary eyes. "Oh, we have company tonight."

Hermione unknowingly flinched at the ghost's tone. It was clear that she wanted to be alone tonight with her lover boy. Her gaze traveled at the male ghost, Lonesome Larry, and wondered how he died. She grew sick, seeing the huge gash on his left wrist, and had a gist on how he died. Probably, it was the reason why he gained the name 'Lonesome'.

Poor him.

"I'll be leaving now," she announced, gathering her belongings and standing up. "Good day."

* * *

Blaise watched with a mixture of amusement and annoyance (but mostly annoyance) as Teddy Nott paced back and forth in front of Hermione's bed.

"Nott, please," he grumbled, closing his book and settling it aside. Teddy looked up from his position but continued his pacing. "Merlin, stop it! You're giving me a headache."

Sheepishly, Teddy smiled and forced himself to stop. "So sorry, mate," he muttered. This time, he chose to wring his wrist in anxiety. "I'm not exactly feeling at… _ease _today."

"I figured," the Italian said, rolling his eyes. "Now, tell me what's bothering you. Or do you want me to look for Draco and drag him here to listen to another sob story of yours?" He smiled, knowing how Draco constantly complained to him why he was the one who was always forced to listen to Teddy's problems when Blaise was there. He then would point out that Teddy had this unhealthy habit of sticking too much for the blond.

"Forget Draco," he said a little distracted, sitting down on the brunette's bed. "It's about… Minnie."

"Hermione?" he asked, shooting up an eyebrow.

The carefree Slytherin nodded his head, looking at the bed forlornly. "I can't shake off this feeling that something… _bad _will happen later at the training." He adorably pouted and ran a hand through his hair, making it more tousled. "It's just that, once I woke up, I had this feeling of… foreboding and I instantly thought of her."

He looked up, lost and almost pitiful, "Is that bad, Blaise?" he asked. "Fretting too much over her?"

Blaise smiled in amusement. "No, not really," he said. "Although, being _too _worried for her is a t bit… suspicious. If you get what I mean."

Oh, get it he did for the next thing Blaise knew, Teddy was the envy of all the tomatoes in Professor Sprout's garden.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," he blubbered out, slowly standing up and once again pacing back and forth. "I'm just worried for her, that's all. Aren't you worried for her, Blaise? She'd been paler than normal, don't you think?" His face darkened a little. "Those trainings are not doing her anything good." He started to wring his wrist once again. "I'm afraid that she'd grow sick once again, Blaise. Is that… is that healthy for me?"

Blaise grew pensive, reeling over Teddy's words. He was right, he reckoned. Hermione had not been looking very well these past few days. If he were to describe her appearance in one word, he would say that she looked like a 'mess'. Like Teddy, he also contemplated and thought that she might grew sick once again after doing their trainings.

He sighed, growing worried himself, and lightly scowled at Teddy. "Stop fretting, Theo," he said. "She's a big girl. She can take care of herself." His scowl deepened upon detecting the doubt in his voice.

Teddy stopped his pacing and looked at Blaise, thoughtfully nodding. "You're right," he said, showing a small smile. "Merlin, she's Granger! What do we expect but the best from her?"

"Right," Blaise said, smiling himself. She's Hermione Granger. She could take care of herself.

The door suddenly burst open. Teddy was startled and managed to knock off the picture frame on top of Hermione Granger's bedside table.

"Oh Merlin, I'm sorry!" Hermione gushed out, eyes directed on the mess on the floor. "I didn't mean to startle you, Teddy."

"It's fine, it's fine," the carefree Slytherin said, lightly laughing. "It's my fault." He brandished out his wand, directed it on the picture frame, and muttered a soft '_Reparo'_. It was as good as new. He bent down, clutched the picture frame, and stared at the photograph. He softly smiled, seeing the picture that was captured during their mission in Muggle London. Hermione, he reckoned, was looking exceptionally _gorgeous _in this picture.

"You okay, Hermione?" Blaise asked, which promptly made him look up from the picture.

The brunette sighed and ran a hand through her short hair. "Oh, I'm fine," she said, although the tone of her voice was suggesting the otherwise. "Just a bit flustered, that's all. Merlin, I'm scared _shitless _for later."

She shuffled towards her bed and unceremoniously dropped on it, rolling around until her back was facing the other two. She lifted the comforter and placed it snuggly on her body. "Wake me up when it's time to leave," she said.

Both Blaise and Teddy looked at each other in worry, before looking at the stretched out form of the brunette.

* * *

"You're fidgety," the object of her affection pointed out. "Stop it, nuisance."

Funny. She could not fathom how she could ever like a man who called her names. And no, not sickening pet names. "I'm not fidgeting, Malfoy," she shot back through gritted teeth, pointedly ignoring the fact that she was _actually _wringing her wrist in nervousness. She couldn't be blamed, really. She just arrived in the Malfoy Manor and minutes from now, she would be bounding off to the West Wing to put her plan into action.

He scorned, which was pretty predictable, before looking straight ahead and directing the junior Death Eaters into the dungeons. Teddy and Blaise were talking softly to themselves, walking a tad behind the other two.

After her revelation, Hermione was feeling a bit… uncomfortable beside Draco. She wanted to run off or just bloody push him aside but restrained herself from doing such silly things.

'_Concentrate, Granger,' _she firmly told herself as soon as they arrived at the dungeons. _'You can't afford to be distracted. Especially now.' _

Draco had opened the door, revealing the inside. Her face visibly paled upon seeing that this time, a pile of tortured men were waiting for them to be used as practice dummies by the Death Eaters. She blanched paler upon guessing that they were… _Muggles_. Judging by the frightened look on their faces (despite the pain) and how they shot a mixture of awe, curiosity, and fear at the magical sticks pointed at their forms, she realized that they were actually Muggles who were victimized by Voldemort's cruel, cruel ways.

'_Everything will be over soon,' _she told herself firmly, lips pressed into a line. _'You just wait, Voldemort. You just wait.' _

The blond, on the other hand, looked at her at the corner of his eyes. He had felt how she tensed upon seeing the tortured Muggles in the room and knew that she would be having another rough night today.

To his surprise, his hand moved on his own accord and perched itself gingerly on her arm. That had caught her attention and she looked up at him, surprised.

"Will you be… all right?" he managed to blurt out, wanting to avoid her searching brown eyes but failed miserably.

She gave him a smile, a smile that could always melt the ice that was his heart. "I will be," she said, reassuringly patting his hand before stepping inside, his hand limply landing on his side.

With one last worried glance her way, he stepped inside and ushered the other Death Eaters inside.

* * *

She scrambled out of the dungeons as soon as the Senior Death Eater announced their break, afraid that she would be seen by some Death Eater and ruin her plan.

Hermione released a sigh upon seeing that no one was there to see her suspicious acts. She removed the hood from her face and noiselessly walked towards the West Wing.

This would be the night. She could feel it with her hands. And no one was going to stop her from succeeding, not even the vilest monster himself.

She would be able to finally save her parents after months and months of being away from their sides. She would be able to finally hug them and know that they were real, and not some figment of her longing heart.

Tonight, she would be able to finally save them.

* * *

Teddy emerged out of the toilet, a sigh of relief emitting from his mouth. He had been aching to run out of the dungeons a while ago just to answer nature's call but he was frightened with what the Senior Death Eater would think he would do and would toss him into the tortured crowd before even unzipping his trousers.

He shuddered at the thought, glad that his bladder was able to hold an immense amount of water in it, before striding back to the dungeons.

Just then, the door opened and out emerged a cloaked figure. Curious and suspicious at the same time, he hid behind a corner and watched as the Death Eater looked from left to right. He distinctively heard a sigh escape from the person's lips before removing the hood, revealing his face.

Scratch that, _her _face for he instantly recognized his roommate's disguised features.

He grew alarmed, seeing that she bounded off to the corridor they were forbidden to enter – the West Wing. Out of instincts and overwhelming worry, he pushed himself away from the hidden corridor and noiselessly followed a good feet behind.

A wave of foreboding once again settled on his face and he quickened his pace, fearing for Hermione's safety.

He had a feeling that something _immensely _bad would happen tonight.

* * *

A huge wave of déjà vu came crashing into her form as she found herself once again at the corridor where the imperious portraits of the past Malfoy ancestry were displayed.

There were no hand-drawn maps now. Merlin, she'd been here countless times already and she had memorized this area in the Malfoy Manor like the back of her hand. And besides, she had reviewed the said map before they were to step in Draco's house to avoid being delayed from her plan. The others were probably resuming their training now and it would take a matter of minutes (probably hours, if she was lucky tonight) for the others to notice her absence.

Hermione had avoided the sneers directed her way. She even blocked off the blatant mockeries from the regal forms of the Malfoy clan. Unconsciously, she wondered if the portraits were trained to detect Mudblood germs. It was handy, after all. And the Malfoy family could do it.

'_Sick bastards,' _she thought. She had passed Lucius portrait and couldn't help but glower at him with all the hate she could muster. Thank goodness his portrait was unmoving or else, she could already imagine the reaction she would get from him due to her silent fury.

It was all his fault, she thought. It was his entire fault why Draco Malfoy (whom she recently realized she fancied) was placed in a dangerous situation in his life where he had to prove to one side that he was loyal to it whilst serving as a spy for them and pretending to support the other side.

'_Merlin,' _she thought, clutching her head. _'His life was really _that _miserable.' _

She wondered if Lucius had undergone such cruelties like what he had bestowed on Draco to grow up and become what he was now – a dastardly monster. She blanched, just thinking what her roommate would be like if he wasn't awaken from the reality of Voldemort's sick ideology. Would he still be the Draco she came to know (and bloody like)?

Speaking of the ferret, her eyes once again landed on the silent portrait beside Lucius'. A small, involuntary smile appeared on her face as she remembered the expression he had flashed to her just last night, mirroring the one he was bearing on his humongous portrait.

Good god, must he really look handsome? If there was a legal law stating that it was a crime to be _that _handsome, Draco Malfoy must be imprisoned for a _lifetime _in Azkaban. Goodness, she wouldn't even be surprised if he'd receive the Dementor's Kiss on the day he was captured.

'_Shit,' _she thought, eyes widening as she took a few steps back, almost breathless. Draco had once again succeeded in snatching her off her concentration. _'Damn you and your good looks.' _See, she was even cursing nonstop.

Hermione sighed and ran a weary hand through her face. She had to focus. This was the third time she was actually attempting to save her parents and she had a feeling that something _grand _would happen – although, she had no idea whether it would be a good or bad one. But she hoped for the former. As cliché as it may sound, third time was the charm.

Just then, she tensed and whipped out her wand. With alarmed, wide eyes, she looked behind and searched the hallway. She swore she heard footsteps. Her breathing grew ragged, waiting for a Death Eater to emerge and pounce on her. She waited with bated breath for thirty minutes (or so she thought) and thankfully, no one had arrived.

"You're being too paranoid, you bloody nuisance," she muttered under her breath, amused that she was able to perfectly mimic Draco's voice. "Move and get this over with."

She took a deep breath and whirled around, wand hand still raised in alarm and continued her journey.

* * *

'_Whew,' _Teddy thought, a hand against his beating heart as he peeked from the alcove he was hiding in. Hermione had resumed her walking, although he pointedly noticed that she was more alert now. Perspiration slowly formed on his forehead. A guarded Hermione Granger is a pretty dangerous being. Especially if her wand was on her hand. She wasn't called as the brightest witch of their generation for nothing, after all.

Just for some precautionary measures, Teddy whipped out his wand and pointed it on his shoes. He had always hated branded, new shoes and how they squeaked every time he walked. It was bloody annoying. He made a mental note to file a complaint as he murmured a soft spell that could muffle his footsteps.

Once he was done with this little work, Hermione was nowhere to be found now. Slightly panicked, his walk started to grow brisker, ignoring the curious and annoyed remarks from the ancestors of his best friend. He allowed himself, though, to greet the portrait of the blond before continuing his mission of stalking… no, _following _Hermione Granger.

He had spotted her russet hair standing stoically a good feet away from him. She was pretty far from him now but he could still spot her. From his position, he could see how her face scrunched up in deep concentration, her wand hand moving furiously. Unknowingly, he smiled. He always particularly liked that look on her face. Sweet Salazar, she made herself look all the more appealing to the carefree Slytherin.

To say that he was ecstatic after discovering that Hermes Austen was actually a _girl _and not only any other girl but _Hermione Granger_ was the biggest understatement of the century. True, he had seen red upon discovering that both Draco and Blaise knew about her true identity without even bothering to tell him. And he made them know, especially to Hermione, that he was incensed with their secret.

But his lividness was short-lived. A huge tsunami of relief washed over followed by absolute bliss as he realized that he was not swinging the other way. That his unwanted, yet pleasant feelings for one Hermes Austen were not actually forbidden since his roommate was actually a girl.

And so, he did the only thing he thought he could think of that time – he hugged her. Call him deranged. He had been called other worse things than that. But he couldn't help but be angry with her for a brief moment then be so cheery over her revealed secret the next.

'_Minnie's really something,' _he thought, smiling fondly at his given nickname for her. _'That bloody Gryffindor.' _

But then, his smile froze on his face upon realizing what Hermione Granger was actually doing.

She was in front of a door he didn't realize was there at all. Her erratic wand movement had stopped and her wand arm was now placed against her side, unmoving. Even if he was far away from her, he could hear her loud, erratic breathing. From the looks of it, what she was doing was serious.

'_Bloody… fuck,' _he cursed, eyes widening in alarm and dread. He recognized this corridor. How come he hadn't remembered it quickly?

Hermione was standing in front of the room where her parents were currently residing.

'_Shit, shit, shit, shit,' _Teddy continued in his mind, panic forming on his gut and quickly rising up to his throat. If Draco would have been here, he would have probably smacked his head for not looking after Hermione. He quickened his run upon seeing that she managed to twist open the doorknob and push open the door.

He suddenly froze, waiting for a Death Eater to arrive and capture her. Images of torture flashed through his eyes and he could only stand on that spot, stock-still and gaping. Hermione had been silent for a while and he noticed how the color on her face drained.

And then, to his horror, she started to cry.

* * *

'_Oh snap,' _she thought, covering her mouth to try in vain to muffle her horrendously loud sobs. _'To… to hell with Death Eaters! TO HELL WITH VOLDEMORT!'_

Her mind turned into a jumble mess of nonsensical things as she continued to stand frozen on the spot.

A huge sob escaped from her lips as she took a step forward. And then another. "M-mom?" she cried. "D-dad?"

She had actually expected before she had opened the door that her parents would be connected to some strange tubes like what she had seen in Muggle hospitals. Even weird guarding lights that shielded her parents from harm. _Heck_, she even expected them to look like almost skeletons due to the disgustingly sadistic tortures and insults from the Death Eaters.

But she did not expect this.

The room, she vaguely observed, was somehow simple. Bare. The walls were white. The light was white. The floor tiles were white. Everything was white and spotless it had even hurt her eyes to look. There were no windows, not even tiny ones. A magical clock was placed at the very middle of the room, showing that it was almost midnight and the Death Eater trainings were about to end.

That had alarmed Hermione and she took another step forward.

There were two beds (with white sheets) at the middle of the room. On one bed was her mother and the other was her father. She started tearing up again and she slowly approached her mother's bed, her chest tightening with relief, longing, fear… She could not even describe in one word how she was feeling right now.

They both seemed okay. To her immense relief, there were no gashes or scars on their body parts that were visible to her eyes. They almost seemed like… _sleeping_. She even feared that they were (God forbid) _dead_. But she brushed that ridiculous idea off her mind upon seeing that their chests were still rising and falling, an indication that they were still breathing.

She had arrived just beside her mother's bed now. With a shaky hand, she covered the immobile and pale hand of her mother on the bed. She tightened her grip, thinking if she was still dreaming, and cried louder when she discovered she was not.

Hermione was here. With her parents. _Really here_.

"If this is some cruel, cruel joke, cut it out already," she grumbled under her breath, although the snarky tone she wished to have was lacking.

Her eyes once again wandered on the magical clock and she instantly remembered that her time was limited.

The brunette pointed out her wand at both of her parents bed, making sure that they were guardless. It was undoubtedly suspicious for her to see that Voldemort did not even bother to put up strong wards to guard her parents from possible heists like what she was doing now. But then, she thought that the Dark Lord had been a bit… overconfident.

Which made her apprehensive, actually.

"What the bloody _fuck _are you doing?"

Her body tensed as she whirled around, instinctively pointing her wand threateningly to the new person in the room. She was surprised beyond comprehension to see that Teddy Nott was standing right before her, disbelief and slight fury visible on his face. "Ted…dy?" she managed to wheeze out, breathless from crying. A tear unknowingly trickled down from her eyes and she did not even bother to brush it off. "What are you doing here?"

The slightly enraged Slytherin strode towards her in three big strides, his movement stiff and almost jerky. "The question is what are _you _doing here?" he snarled, eyes darting around. "Are you out of your mind, Minnie? This is – this is… _dangerous_! Bloody dangerous! Blimey, are you even thinking?"

"Teddy," she beseeched, drawing nearer her mother. "Please. Just go." She looked away from him, her eyes landing on her mother, then to her father. "This is my mission. And I'm almost finished doing it."

A loud scoffed escaped from his lips and he glared at her. "You must be joking," he snapped, going over her father's bed. With a wave of his wand, Hermione's father levitated. "_You _must be _joking _if you think I'm going to leave you all alone here."

Her eyes snapped at him, astonished. "T-Teddy?" she asked in disbelief.

His features softened as he stared back at her. "Didn't I tell you that I hate seeing the people I most care about sad, huh, Minnie… _Hermione_?" She, despite the situation, smiled fondly at him. "I'm going to help you because Merlin knows how you'd been feeling, parted from your parents for months."

"Just go. I don't want you to get hurt."

He laughed, almost humorlessly. "That's ridiculous," he said, switching back to his serious mode. "I'm Theodore Nott. Does that ring a bell? Yes? Well, now, can you think of a word that best describes me?" His eyes dangerously flashed as he tried to maneuver her father with great effort. "_Right_. I'm childish. And you know what that means? I am extremely stubborn, Granger, and nobody, not even you, can stop me from doing what I want."

His baby blue eyes, shining with such conviction and determination and even something she could not decipher, connected with her brown eyes and passionately said, "And I _want _to see you finally happy, Minnie."

Her heart swelled for this carefree Slytherin in front of her. Sweet Salazar, the boy was extremely _serious _and she had this feeling that if she were to interject further, he'd bloody hex her just to shut her up.

She couldn't not believe that this was Theodore Nott, _Teddy _Nott. The same Slytherin she used to think was too childish and carefree for her own liking. She was bossy, after all, and she had absolutely hated people who did not do want was best for them, which was, of course, _study_ (just look at Ron). And Teddy fell under this category. Although, there were times that he could manage to look ridiculously adorable to her.

And now, seeing him so… so earnest in doing something for others, for _her_, made her thankful to all the cosmic powers above that she had a best friend by the name of Theodore Nott.

Tears once again sprang at the corner of her eyes and they freely fell, unnoticed by the crier herself. "Teddy," she softly sobbed. "Thank you very much."

He seemed startled by the sudden display of overwhelming emotions from the object of his affection. But then, a genuine smile that he could only manage to flash, appeared on his face. "Anything for you, Minnie," he said. _"Anything_."

Teddy then mockingly scowled, his cheeks a sudden vivid shade of red. "Now, can we stop being sappy now?" he asked, pointedly looking at her still floating father. "We still have to do something important, remember?"

"Right," she said. She rounded around, facing her mother, and thought of levitating her mother but stopped. Hermione looked back at Teddy, amusement on her face as he watched him struggled with her father. "You know, Teddy, I have a better way of returning to Hogwarts without causing such a fuss."

The carefree Slytherin glared at her through his fringes and scowled. "You could have told me a while ago, thanks," he said, waving his wand once again and Hermione's father gently fell back on his bed. "So, what now?"

Hermione smiled, about to retort something back, when a new pair of footsteps rang loudly in the corridor. She froze, eyes wide in anticipation, and she could already feel her heart almost jumping wildly in horror. At the corner of her eyes, she could see Teddy mimicking her actions, too frozen to even move and magicked the door to firmly close from prying eyes.

Just then, the person arrived and dread instantly settled at her gut.

Bellatrix Lestrange came by, staring at them at first in shock, then complete fury.

'_Great,' _the brunette thought inside her head. _'Of all the people who could catch us red-handedly, it was Bellatrix_ Lestrange _who had capital timing. Great indeed.' _

"What the _devil _is going on here?" the Death Eater snarled, her eyes glinting menacingly in the white light. Hermione reckoned she had looked extra deranged today, but then again, Lestrange had always been _deranged_.

Realization dawned in Bella's mind as her eyes darted from the two Slytherins to the two unconscious figures behind them. "Traitor…" she gasped, eyes widening in alarm. "TRAITOR! TRAITOR! TRAITOR!"

Something snapped in Hermione's mind. Seeing Bellatrix Lestrange here in front of her with a wild look in her eyes that clearly screamed 'failure' had brought her back to the alarming situation she had landed (together with Teddy). Without any second thoughts, she pointed her wand at the still reeling Bellatrix and screamed a deafening, "_EXPELLIARMUS!_"

The older witch gasped at the impact of the spell, hurtling backwards as she hit the opposite wall.

"Come on, snap out of it!" she screamed at Teddy. The carefree Slytherin immediately shook his head and started to grasp Hermione's father. "Hold my hand, Teddy. Don't let go, okay? No matter what happens, _don't let go_."

With great effort, she heaved her mother into a sitting position and wrapped her arms around her. Teddy did the same with her father and he instantly clutched her hand, almost cutting off her circulation.

"At the count of three," she wheezed out, breathing raggedly as she closed her eyes. "One… two… thr - ."

"_EXPELLIARMUS!_"Bellatrix shrilly hollered, blasting Hermione's wand off her hand.

Hermione's eyes flew open and gasped, hastily retrieving her arm from her mother's waist and her other hand from Teddy's hold. He wouldn't let go. "Damn it, Teddy, release my hand first," she cried in alarm, making a mad dash towards her wand a few feet away from where she was previously standing.

Teddy, also breathing heavily, whirled around, releasing his grip from the brunette's father. Fear was clearly shown on his face and Bellatrix, still blinded with fury, cackled maniacally at the terror in his eyes. "Scared, boy?" she spat, her evil laugh still ringing loudly in the room. "Get out of the way if you do not want to get hurt. Do you understand me?"

"NO!" Teddy exclaimed, raising his wand hand. He was about to hex her whilst the end of her wand was pointedly directed into Hermione's vulnerable position. "_STUPEF - _."

"_AVADA KEDAVRA_!" the Death Eater shrieked.

Hermione gasped and turned around, watching as an ominous green light hurtled towards her direction. But when she blinked, the next thing she knew, it was gone. Confused, she shakily stood up from her crouching position, wand clutched tightly in her hand, and was stunned at the spectacle in front of her.

There was Teddy, sprawled messily on the ground.

_Dead_.

His blue eyes were opened widely, the life in them gone.

'_Dead,' _a cruel whisper teased her earlobe. _'Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead.' _

The brunette released a strangled scream, still in disbelief at what she was seeing now.

Bellatrix, who had been also startled by the sudden intervention of the boy, looked up at Hermione in surprise, reckoning that the brunette had never looked murderous before.

"You… you…" she sputtered out, her cheeks reddening because of absolute fury. "You… _bitch_. _OBLIVIATE_!" In her disarrayed state, she was surprised it was the first spell that came up in Hermione's mind.

Caught off-guard, the spell had hit Bellatrix squarely on her chest and she fell unconscious from the impact.

Hermione gasped huge breaths, her whole body suddenly shivering. She unconsciously released her wand, which landed loudly on the floor, before she fell down on her knees, right in front Teddy.

"Oh… my god," she sobbed, gingerly placing a hand on the carefree Slytherin's cheek. "Oh my god, Teddy."

Her soft sobs turned into boisterous ones and she placed her forehead on his chest, wishing to hear at least faint beatings of his heart.

There were none.

"Teddy," she cried. "Oh Merlin, Teddy."

Her head perked up, hearing numerous footsteps nearing the room. She could distinctively hear loud curses from approaching Death Eaters.

**[1] **Hermione looked longingly behind her parents, back to Teddy, and made up her mind. Grabbing her wand, she grasped Teddy's lifeless arm tightly in her hands before apparating to the safest place she could currently think of.

* * *

**[1] **Yeah, yeah, I know that people will question me "Why didn't you take Hermione's parents with her and blah blah blah?" But Hermione's distressed and all; if she apparated with two unconscious people and a dead guy, she might end up splinching herself, or splinching her parents. Remember, it takes a great amount of concentration to successfully apparate. But again, because of her sudden distraught, apparating would be quite dangerous, even for her. She might end up killing herself, or her parents, or both.

* * *

**A/N: Hermione's such a bitch... ****WAH, I KNOW, DON'T KILL ME! I have this feeling that after this chapter, a lot of people will be planning to sabotage me or something. I'm sorry, I've really meant to kill of Teddy in the end. If you were taking time to read my previous notes, I'd probably stated that I've made an outline for this whole thing already and I've finished the whole story; hence, the plot is done. I'm just doing some last minute changes here and there. But alas, this scene I cannot change. Teddy's death would be an important scene in the whole story. But that doesn't mean that I wouldn't miss him. *BAWLS WILDLY* You have no idea how I had shed tears for him.**

**Sniff, sniff. **

**Anyway, I still want to know what you think! Haha, I know, how depressing. But things would still be happy in the end. **

**Aww, I will still love you all even if you bash me *wink* *wink* **

**That's all :D**

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe**


	35. Goodbye, Teddy

**Disclaimer: Two more days to go 'til I watch DH Part 2! WAAAAAH! Oh, and I ain't JK Rowling *wink* *wink* **

* * *

**A/N: Yay, another chapter! Or do I hear a nay because of what I did last chapter? Haha, anyway, I'll keep this part extremely short so that you can start reading already. If you must know, though, this chapter is un-Beta-ed so bear with all of my grammatical errors. :D**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Five: Goodbye, Teddy**

* * *

Professor Albus Dumbledore had a feeling of premonition as he sat on his chair in his famous circular Headmaster's Office.

The usual twinkling in his eyes was gone replaced by genuine worry. He was looking worriedly all over his office, thinking that something would have popped surprisingly out of thin air and further heightened his feeling of foreboding.

Now, the aged man rarely believed in Divination. Good lord, if he were to choose which subject was his least favorite, he would undoubtedly say 'Divination'. He, like almost all of the people in the whole Wizarding World, was not gifted with the 'eye'; thus, during his school days and he was forced to sit in his Divination class and listen to his teacher, he instantly disliked the subject. Which was very rare, of course. Dumbledore rarely hated things. He was one of those people who believed that there was something good in everything in this world.

Of course, there were exceptions. He long believed that everything has an exception, including unbelievable Divination. He had been the witness of the greatest prophecy ever told by the current Divination teacher, Sibyl Trelawney, and he would be a fool if he did not believe her. After all, the prophecy that was told by her was slowly unraveling in front of him.

Thus, the professor couldn't help but feel slightly… fidgety. He rarely fidgeted, and if he did, it meant that the dread he was feeling was absolutely humongous and shouldn't be merely brushed off and forever be forgotten.

His grandfather clock chimed once, signaling that it was already one in the morning. He remembered that the Death Eater trainings of his students in the Malfoy Manor would have been done by now. A frown graced his wrinkly face; although he did not want to interfere with the beliefs of the Pureblood families in this school, he still could not sleep at night, knowing that his precious students were venturing in an evil place, surrounded by evil forces and the vilest man he had ever known in his life (excluding Grindelwald). He was afraid that if he were to sleep a wink, a student of his might be in great danger and he was dead to the world, ignorant as he slumbered luxuriously in his own dreamland.

Fawkes then quaked, attracting his owner's attention. Dumbledore smiled reassuringly at his pet phoenix. Fawkes always had the ability to detect the Headmaster's feelings, despite how much he tried to hide them. And for that, he was grateful for his pet.

Just then, a deafening pop resounded in his whole office. He jumped an inch or two, which was infrequent, and stared a little wide-eyed at the scene in front of him.

He instantly recognized his disguised student, despite the tears trekking down her eyes. Her doe-like eyes were wide with something unfathomable and her breaths were loud in the silent room. She almost looked hyperventilating and concerned, Dumbledore stepped around his desk and approached his student. "Miss Granger…"

Blood was dripping everywhere, and the Headmaster's eyes slightly widened in alarm. He searched for the source of the blood, and finally located it on her right hand. Her thumb and index finger were splinched from apparating, but she seemed not to mind it at all.

"Pro-professor," she sputtered out. "Oh Merlin, si-sir… It's Te-Teddy."

And she trailed off, huge sobs heaving from her chest as she continued to cry, her body visibly quivering. Dumbledore knew it was not because of the cold.

His eyes then trailed on the form on Hermione's lap and instantly, he knew.

He _knew_.

"I-I'm sorry," she sobbed hysterically, now rocking back and forth to comfort herself. "I-I'm sorry. If I was… selfless enough. If I was careful! If only I was not thinking of my-myself. If only I was… if only I was… if only I was… Teddy! Oh Teddy! Wake up, goddammit! Wake up!"

The Headmaster fell on his knees right in front of his hysterical student and looked up at his pet phoenix. "Fawkes," he said, his voice sounding oddly exhausted, "call for Madam Pomfrey now."

The phoenix squawked for his answer before swooping out of the Headmaster's Office.

"Miss Granger," Dumbledore gravely said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Do you wish to tell what had happened?"

Too disoriented, she merely shook her head.

Albus looked down on the immobile Slytherin on her lap again and gingerly placed a hand on top of his chest. He was trying to feel any motion that would assure him that Theodore Nott was still alive and breathing.

But there was none.

A hole gradually grew in his old heart. If Hermione was not hysterical with what had happened to her best friend, she would have noticed that a new emotion had settled on the teacher she always looked up to – _pain_. It was visible on his wrinkly face as he stared gravely on his dead student, his heart turning into lead as more minutes passed by.

Dumbledore had known Theodore Nott for seven years now. He had been one of those students who vowed to make his job a tad _harder _as soon as they stepped inside the confines of Hogwarts. He had gotten himself into countless detentions before, mostly accompanied by his best friends. But he, Dumbledore observed, rarely cared if points were deducted from his House or more detentions were bestowed upon him.

The Headmaster never had a grudge against his students, especially those who were somehow pain-in-the-necks. And so, he did no really dislike Theodore Nott. He had known Teddy's background; after all, his ancestors studied under Dumbledore's headmastery. But he found himself watching this particular student of his fondly. He had defied everything that was taught to him as a child (except to be bigoted, of course). He lacked the usual regal and authoritative aura in a usual Nott, but instead chose to be carefree and slightly immature. He knew Teddy had received numerous Howlers from home, stating that he had been a disgrace to his family for his lack of… Nott-ness.

The Nott family had been constantly under Voldemort's beck and call but Dumbledore saw some… distinct differences in Teddy Nott. And he knew, just by looking at him, that he could make a change; probably change his family's views and beliefs.

But now, seeing him, lifeless… _dead_… Dumbledore couldn't help but mourn over this remarkable student of his.

"I-I'm sorry," Hermione sputtered out once again, her voice slightly gurgled because of her tears. "I-I'm sorry I've been reckless."

"Miss Granger," he said, "please. Do not blame yourself."

She grew indignant. The brunette was about to protest something back when the doors of the office burst open, admitting a slightly cranky Madam Pomfrey inside.

"Albus," she said in a reprimanding tone, "I respect you and your ways of teaching. But calling me at this ungodly hour? Well, old man, listen here and listen well, I…"

Her voice faltered upon seeing a distressed Hermione on the floor with an immobile Teddy on her lap. "Albus?" she gasped, instantly reverting to her nurse-mood. "What is going on?"

"Poppy," the Headmaster said, rising to his feet, "this is Theodore Nott and…"

"Oh, I know who he is," she snapped, slight irritation flashing on her face. "He'd been a _gentleman _enough to visit me in my office every once in a while. What did this young man do now?"

Nobody answered her as she approached the two Slytherins and crouched down. She grasped Teddy's wrist and felt for a pulse but then paled when she did not. Frantically, her hand moved towards his neck but then, she had not felt any pulse on it, too. Her eyes had gone wide now and her face a sickly shade of white as she shakily pressed her palm against the Slytherin's chest and again, she felt nothing.

"Good lord," she gasped, tears springing up in her eyes. "He's… dead."

Hearing it aloud had made Hermione feel more dreadful and guilty for she started crying loudly.

"Madam Pomfrey," Dumbledore said, briefly closing his eyes for a second. "Please bring Miss Granger to the infirmary and give her a Sleeping Draught. I am to take care of Mister Nott."

"But Albus…"

"Poppy," he had cut off, "_please_."

Tears were freely flowing down the medi-witch's face as she helped Hermione's shaking form and assisted her back to the infirmary. She made a slight fuss upon seeing her splinched fingers, and immediately healed them with a spell.

Dumbledore, now alone with the corpse of his beloved student, knelt down once again and slowly, very slowly, ran a hand through Theodore Nott's sapphire eyes and gently closed them.

* * *

"Draco, cut it out," Blaise said, sounding annoyed. "Sit down, for Slytherin's sake."

The fuming blond whirled around and scowled at the Italian. "Your calmness is _sickening_, Zabini," he barked, irritation written all over his face. "Go… go hang out with your bloody books in the library and piss off if you want to stay _calm_."

Blaise sighed and shook his head, letting his head drop back to his pillow. Draco was being ridiculous, he reckoned. Although, he had every reason to grow frantic.

The Death Eater trainings had now ended and both of them went back to their school. What was alarming though, was that both Hermione and Teddy were nowhere to be found. Draco had wanted to stomp to the West Wing, suspecting that the brunette had been stupid once again and decided to save her parents, to give Hermione a piece of his mind but Blaise, ever the calm one, dragged him out of his Manor, all the while assuring him that both Hermione and Teddy probably came back earlier than them.

He turned out to be wrong in the end, and Draco had been pacing worriedly for minutes now.

"I cannot believe the nerve of those two," the blond muttered darkly under his breath. "You just wait, nuisance, I am going to strangle you if I discovered that you're off gallivanting with danger once again." He scoffed and ran a hand through his hair. "And Nott! I should have know that… that _look _she always had on her face would cause that immature git's downfall."

Blaise slightly smiled in amusement. The jealousy in his voice was so obvious; he wondered if Draco knew it. Even if he was his number one rival to Hermione Granger's affections, he couldn't help but think that his attachment to the brunette was cute. Draco rarely got attached with objections… especially with people.

The door of their room then burst open and Blaise sat up. Draco had halted in his pacing now and was looking at the door with a murderous expression on his face, his arms crossed tightly against his chest.

"_Granger_," he barked, not even minding if a few people were still awake and probably heard him. "What the _hell _is wrong with you, leaving without any notice?" He snarled and looked behind her. "And where's Nott? That bastard… he was with you, wasn't he?"

Blaise, who was carefully observing the brunette, stood up in alarm. There were tears running down from her cheeks. She was trying her best not to sob loudly but from the looks of it, she was fighting a losing war. "Hermione?" he asked. "Are you all right?"

Draco's anger then slightly dissipated upon seeing the tears on her face. He grew confused, alarmed even, when a loud sob escaped from Hermione's lips. "Nuisance?" he asked, his eyebrows drawing closer together. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Hermione lifted her tearstained face and stared squarely at the two.

Blaise backpedaled and Draco's arms fell limply on his sides.

She looked… anguished.

"Hermione…" His voice faltered when Hermione suddenly strode past him and sat down on her bed. Confused, Draco turned around and stared at her. The brunette drank a liquid from a vial he hadn't noticed a while ago.

Her cries ceased when she lied down on her bed. She then grasped her teddy bear – Theodore's Christmas gift – and soon fell into a fitful sleep.

Draco turned around to look at Blaise in bafflement.

"I don't know," Blaise answered his unspoken question and the blond's shoulders sagged. He sat down on his own bed and crossed his arms, pointedly staring at the door in hope that it would burst open and his cheery best friend would arrive.

Both Draco and Blaise waited for his arrival for a while.

He did not come.

* * *

The tension in the Great Hall was so thick a knife could cut it if one dared to.

Low murmurs were buzzing around the room but not loud enough for the neighboring tables to hear.

A lot grew confused when their Headmaster suddenly called for them at an extremely early hour, five o'clock in the morning to be exact, which was two hours earlier than their supposed time for breakfast.

Many were still cranky from lack of sleep, making it evident through their sullen attitude. The Slytherins, particularly, were not happy with the 'old coot's' sudden announcement and wished to crawl back to their beds and sleep for the rest of the hour. Argus Filch had threatened those who wished to return back to their dormitories that he would hand out detention like late Christmas gifts. After all, the torture devices in his office, which were way older than the medieval ages, were rusting already and he was itching to use them. Those threats of the Hogwarts caretaker were enough to shut up the complaining students.

Blaise was sitting on his usual spot, his back unusually straighter than his laid-back one, as he stared at the teachers' table with keen eyes. Dumbledore was still nowhere to be found and the teachers, he reckoned, were unusually… grave today.

He looked at the corner of his eyes and saw how Draco fidgeted on his seat, shooting worried looks at the empty seats across from them then to the door of the Great Hall. Teddy had not come back this morning at all, and it had made the blond grow restless for his best friend's sudden absence.

Hermione, on the other hand, had bounded of to Merlin-knows-where as soon as the student piled out from their rooms to gather in the Great Hall. Blaise was itching to find her but one look from Argus Filch's menacing face made him sit rooted on his chair.

The Italian sighed and toyed with his breakfast. Since their gathering was earlier than usual, the house-elves started to cook food for the students and the product of their labor was now served on the tables of each Houses. Blaise observed that most of the students were toying with their food, like him, or neglected it (like Draco). He made a disgusted face upon seeing that Potter's ever faithful sidekick seemed as if he was not affected by the tensed atmosphere and continued to stuff his face with his food.

Blaise looked up when Draco suddenly knocked off his pumpkin juice-filled goblet. The blond grumbled a soft apology and with a wave of his wand, the mess he had made was gone.

The Zabini heir looked at the closed oak-wooden doors and wished for it to open to reveal at least Hermione or Teddy or both. Blaise reckoned Hermione had been extremely suspicious this morning. She was hysterical, he observed, and she seemed not to hear what he and Draco had said to her. It made him more bewildered when she just continued to cry with no apparent reason and gulped down the whole content of the vial, which he soon discovered as a Sleeping Draught.

The noise in the Great Hall suddenly died down. Surprised, Blaise averted his eyes away from the doors and looked up at the Teacher's Table, only to see an awfully grim Albus Dumbledore striding inside and halting at his podium. The stone eagle on his podium stretched out its wings, signaling that the Headmaster was about to talk and everyone was required to listen.

"Students," he boomed, although his voice wasn't that loud, "you are all aware that we are in a very dark age with constant wars and the threat of Voldemort's invasion."

Loud gasps from all over the room were heard upon hearing _his _name. Even Ron, who was happily stuffing his face with food, had stopped eating now and was staring at Dumbledore, wide-eyed.

The Headmaster raised up a hand to stop their sudden noise, his face graver than before. They immediately fell into a fearful silence and continued to watch their serious Headmaster.

"This morning," he continued, "approximately past midnight, one of our dear students was murdered by one Bellatrix Lestrange outside Hogwarts."

At the corner of his eyes, Blaise saw Draco suddenly grip his fork until his knuckles turned white. Horror trickled in Blaise's heart as he saw how the blond suddenly grew pale. It was common knowledge that Bellatrix Lestrange was Draco Malfoy's aunt and to hear that once again, she ended another innocent person's life, he was not exactly thrilled.

"Some might know him personally, others merely by his name," Dumbledore said, his eyes landing on the Slytherin table. He spotted two vacant spots and the victim's best friends sitting across from the empty seats. His heart continued to break into two. "And the victim, Mister Theodore Nott, had died a very noble death."

Blaise blinked.

Huh?

The whole Slytherin table erupted into a riotous noise; others were even openly crying now. Draco had completely frozen on his chair and the fork he was gripping tightly was now released from his hand, landing with a loud clang on his plate.

Dumbledore raised a hand once again and the Slytherins were instantly silenced, although those who were crying continued to sob now.

"Mister Nott had died helping a friend," he continued. "And what is greater love than to die for one's friend? He had neglected his safety all because he wanted him safe from harm."

Something strange… something painful stirred in Blaise's heart as he stared at the empty seat across from him.

'_Theo… _died_?' _his mind feebly asked, still reeling with the sudden news.

"Let us all stay silent for a while," Dumbledore quietly murmured. From the Head of House, Professor McGonagall was now dabbing a lacey handkerchief on her old, tired eyes. "And let us remember this remarkable person. Let us remember that he did not die in vain. Let us remember that he died _fighting_ bravely. Let us remember that Theodore Nott, a Slytherin, a student, a son, a brother, and most especially a best friend, had died to save one of the persons he loved the most."

The Great Hall was deathly silent now. Their shock had now been mingled with… compassion to those whom Teddy had left behind. Even the Gryffindors who had hated his guts had stopped hating him for that moment and offered their condolences.

And Blaise… Blaise suddenly couldn't breath because of the tears that sprang up from his eyes.

* * *

Oh, how the environment mocked his best friend's funeral.

Draco swore that if he heard one more blasted bird chirping bloody happily, he would brandish out his wand and blast it into smithereens.

They were now in a clearing in the Forbidden Forest, Theodore Nott's casket visible to everybody. Draco had neglected Hermione's fake grave, which was a few meters away from the crowd. Instead, his eyes were firmly plastered on his best friend's sarcophagus.

He could not believe this was happening. Heck, he felt like he was still dreaming. Theo… Theo was a great guy (although a pain-in-the-bloody-arse) but still… he was Draco's best friend. And that meant something to the blond.

The moment Dumbledore announced the death of the carefree Slytherin, his blood ran cold and he suddenly couldn't breathe. The shock he felt was too huge to handle and he had no choice but to watch with unfocused eyes as the Slytherins who knew Teddy started to grow frantic for his lose.

He vaguely remembered that they were instructed to go to an area in the Forbidden Forest, _here_, where Teddy's funeral would take place. He couldn't remember, though, how he was able to arrive here. He swore his mind had temporarily detached itself from his body as soon as he heard the distressing news.

But he was here.

And he wished he was anywhere _but _here.

From where he was sitting, alone and brooding, he could spot Theo's avid second year fan girl, Mina, crying her eyes out as she continued to call out her 'lord's' name. Pained by the sight, he turned away and looked at his hands.

Ever since the start of the funeral, a lump had formed in Draco's throat. He desperately wanted to gulp it down but no amount of saliva could drive it away. He had been silent the whole time, afraid that if he were to talk, he would do something drastic (like… blast a third year into Pluto).

He had seen the other Gryffindors and how they were silent. Draco couldn't help but sneer at them, knowing that it was merely for show because they were expected to _mourn _and not to gloat around declaring that Theodore Nott deserved to bloody die because he was a sick, sick bastard. One time, he caught Potter strangely looking at him and he merely glared, which promptly left him unbothered by The-Boy-Who-Lived.

"Draco?"

Startled, he looked up, ready to snap at the sudden intruder, but his eyes landed on _her_, of all people.

Annie Nott.

Theo's sister.

The lump in his throat grew bigger upon seeing the uncanny resemblance of the girl to her big brother. With the same gorgeous blue eyes and raven-black hair… they were, without any doubt, really siblings.

The ten-year-old girl was openly crying. Her blue eyes were extra bright because of the tears that freely flowed from her sapphire eyes. Her pink, bottom lip was slightly quivering because of suppressed anguished and Draco had a clue that she wanted to throw something now because of pure rage and agony. In fact, he was feeling _exactly _the same time.

He visibly swallowed as the little girl continued to stare at him.

Right there and then, he hated his aunt more. With a fiery, burning, _scorching _passion. He had always hated Bellatrix Lestrange for she had taunted his mother, her sister, all her life for being such a coward and refusing to take the Dark Mark and serve her 'beloved' master. He had always hated Bellatrix Lestrange because she never failed to hurt his mother emotionally… deeply, for suddenly turning into a different person from what Narcissa Malfoy previously knew.

And now that _she _killed his best friend… his hate for her had taken a higher level and if were to spot here amongst the mourning crowd, he would not hesitate but kill her (or perhaps… torture her at first then watch her as she slowly die).

"Draco?" little Annie Nott said once again, daintily sniffing to catch his attention. Draco's stormy mercurial eyes landed on her big, blue ones and he was once again struck with the fact that she looked _so _much like Teddy; it almost hurt to look. "Can I hold your hand?"

He blinked thrice, taken aback with the little girl's request. He had visited the Nott Manor countless times before and he had known that Annie liked Blaise more than him. In fact, he even thought that he had scared the crap out of her. Blaise was nowhere to be found since he was the one appointed to give the eulogy for Teddy and so, he was stuck with her, with Teddy Nott's little sister.

Oh, how Teddy loved her. He had witnessed her big brother's affection with his own eyes and he thought he had never seen such sibling love that powerful before. And to see that Annie was left all alone, brother-less, the empathy he felt for the little girl grew astounding.

He could spot from his place Nott's mother, an imposing and authoritative woman, amongst the crowd. His heart clenched upon seeing her stoic expression, stiffly crossing her arms and looking as if she wanted to be anywhere but here. Draco grew murderous, thinking that she probably did not care that her son was dead. Or maybe she was just like him, trying in vain to hide her emotions so that people would not see that she could be vulnerable, too.

With a lead as his heart, he turned back to the mourning little girl and stretched out his right hand. "Of course, Annie," he softly murmured, his voice surprisingly hoarse.

Annie continued to softly cry as she gingerly placed her small hand in Draco's large one and gripped it as if it was her lifeline. Draco gripped it equally firm, yet gentle, as Annie settled down on the vacant seat beside him.

Together, they listened as Dumbledore delivered his speech about Teddy and his 'noble' death. All throughout the event, Annie's little hand never let go of Draco's.

When Blaise delivered his eulogy, almost all had tears in their eyes, even the Italian. Annie's soft cries had turned into huge, loud sobs, but her hand in Draco's never slackened. The blond even thought that she held on to him tighter.

Everybody stood up when Teddy's casket was being slowly lowered down. Both Draco and Annie found themselves at the back of the crowd, but not one of them even dared to move forward and squeeze through just to see his best friend and her big brother slowly disappearing, physically, from their lives.

"Everything will be all right," Draco consoled the little girl, squeezing her small hand for reassurance, but he himself sounded as if he needed some comfort.

Because right there and then, the cool and indifferent mask of Draco Malfoy broke. It was an astounding thing to see for he rarely showed his true emotions, vulnerable for the whole world to see.

If all had just paid him attention, for the first time in their lives, they would see a tear trickle down from his mercurial orbs, silently running down from his cheek down to his pointy chin, mourning for his deceased best friend.

"Goodbye, Teddy," little Annie commented.

'_Yes,' _he silently thought. _'Goodbye, Teddy.' _

* * *

"I knew you would be here."

A small gasp escaped from her lips but she did not bother to turn around and glare at Draco Malfoy. She knew it would be him and in all honesty, she was not surprised. After all, he had found her here in the exact spot in the library months before when she had cried her eyes out for being silly in front of the Headmaster.

Instead, she laid her chin on top of the teddy bear Teddy had given her on Christmas Day and continued to cry, neglecting Draco's presence.

She heard his familiar footsteps approaching her, stopping a few feet away from her. He was silent for a while and Hermione's soft cries were heard. The library was abandoned due to the fact that everybody, even the ghosts of Hogwarts, attended Theodore Nott's funeral, except her.

Hermione could not bear to be there with people crying for Teddy's death, knowing that she had been the cause of it. Merlin, she could not sleep because of that gnawing guilt in her heart, tearing her apart and keeping her awake at night. She had been drinking numerous Sleeping Draughts now and although she knew that it was not good for her health, she couldn't care less. The pain was too unbearable for her to handle and Sleeping Draughts helped her ease her pain, or at least make her feel slightly numb.

The brunette had been hysterical for the whole day. She had not attended breakfast this morning, knowing that Dumbledore would announce the distressing news and she would burst into tears while people discovered that _she _was the sole reason for Teddy's death. She couldn't bear to look at her other roommates, knowing that she was the reason why their best friend for seven years was killed.

Oh especially, Draco. She could not look at him.

She was afraid that his mercurial orbs would look at her, mercilessly, as he spat her insults about her faults and all. Hermione knew she couldn't handle such hurtful words from the blond; thus, she tried her best to avoid him the whole day at all cost.

She was afraid to see Blaise and his disappointment clearly etched on his face. She was scared that he would stop talking to her and further make her guilty for being selfish and not think of others when Teddy himself had been selfless and thought about her first before his safety.

'_Why, Teddy?' _she asked herself for the umpteenth time. _'Why? You did not have to.' _

Hermione hugged the teddy bear tighter to her chest and continued to mourn for her dead best friend. Teddy had been a great friend all these months, even accepting her for who she truly was despite the fact that she deceived him and had probably hurt his feelings. But he accepted her, nonetheless, and she was grateful of him for that.

"I'm sorry," she softly cried, knowing that Draco was still standing beside her. "I-I'm sorry, Draco." She repeated her apology, again and again, and her cries grew louder.

And then, to her utmost surprise, she was yanked upright by the blond. A gasp escaped from her lips as she stared at him, wide-eyed. But before she could further decipher the unfathomable look in his eyes, he enveloped her into a hug. Teddy's stuffed toy tumbled out of Hermione's sudden limp arms and landed on the floor, neglected.

"Don't blame yourself," he murmured in her ear. "It's not your fault."

Hermione, despite her tears, grew frustrated and unknowingly fisted the front material of his expensive jumper. "It was mine," she interjected. "It was mine and I-I was selfish… Teddy wouldn't have… wouldn't have…"

"Shh…" he consoled, his arms around her tightening. "It's not your fault."

"It was. It was," she cried, succumbing into his warm embrace. Her tearstained face landed on his shoulder and she cried her frustrations, her anger, and her guilt out until her voice was raw with tears. "It was my fault. I-I'm sorry."

And they continued to stand there, hidden by Hermione's beloved books from prying eyes.

And together, they mourned for Theodore Nott's death.

'_Goodbye, Teddy,' _Hermione wistfully thought, tightening her arms around Draco's torso. _'I'm sorry.' _

* * *

**A/N: This chapter made me bawl, too, don't worry T_T. And I'm curious as to which part you started crying, too. XD So what did you think? Tell me in you reviews!**

**Oh, and I posted earlier because tomorrow I'll be going home late. As soon as I arrive home, I am positively sure I won't be able to do anything besides my yearbook club stuff...**

**Anyway, OaP is nearing its end! Well, not really, but I have eight more chapters (including the Epilogue) to go before it ends. Which is a sad thing. I'm going to miss this story! And I'm not sure if I'll be able to post a new story. My "new" story is currently on hiatus because of this so-called life, so, I'm asking you not to expect a new one soon. **

**Well, that's it for now! I know, I know, I was cruel for doing **_**that **_**but I think it's necessary for my story. And I'd rather choose for Teddy to know that Hermione's starting to fall in love with Draco T_T Not my Teddy! Of course, some of you do not share my opinion but, oh well, I'm the author. I can do whatever I want in this story :D**

**Again, reviews please!**

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe**


	36. Survivor's Guilt

**Disclaimer: Refer to the previous THIRTY-FIVE chapters and see if you still don't get it XD**

* * *

**A/N: Yay! I actually updated earlier than the supposed date again! If you all must know, I think this would be permanent until the end of the story, depending on my schedule. I go home late every Thursday for the new few weeks all because of my weekly meetings and I'm too busy accomplishing school stuff to even go online for a bit. But anyway, it's good news to all so there :D**

**Without further ado, I present chapter thirty-six!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Six: Survivor's Guilt**

* * *

A week had passed ever since Theodore Nott's untimely death and the changes in Hermione incognito were becoming increasingly noticeable.

The metaphorical sunshine that seemed to follow her everywhere she went was absent. Gone was the lively, cheery her, replaced by a sullen, brooding empty shell; she constantly chose to detach herself from the crowd and sit in an empty corner. The smile she usually flashed to her Housemates (the smile that had swooned a bunch of girls, _actually_) was gone. Her demeanor was almost pitiable; peoples' eyes hurt just to look at her face.

Dark bags were extremely visible under her eyes, which rivaled Filch's (which was saying something). Her cheekbones were more prominent than before. Some of her avid fans who creepily observed her during meals grew alarmed with the fact that she was barely touching her food or not arriving in the Great Hall for her meals at all.

One thing that they all noticed was this childish teddy bear that she always brought with her everywhere. They would all grow confused when she would look at her stuffed toy, eyes almost brimming with tears, before excusing herself from the class and staying in Merlin-knows-where until the bell rang.

The teachers also noticed her drastic change in behavior. Although she had forced herself not to enthusiastically raise her hand to answer a question, she was still known for offering the correct answer to the complicated questions asked by the professors.

Oh, how Professor Flitwick was astonished when he asked a question the class did not know and requested Hermes Austen, one of his best student, to answer the question.

"I'm sorry, sir, I don't know," she plainly said, empty eyes blankly staring at the Charms teacher.

Even Professor Snape, who rarely cared for such things, noticed the changes in her. Enraged, he had barked for her to go to the infirmary to get herself checked. Usually, Hermione would be affronted with such orders from a teacher but for now, she did not care at all. She stood up, head bowed low her nose almost touched her chest, before noiselessly going out of the Potions dungeons and went straight up to Moaning Myrtle's loo to cry her eyes out.

Hermione was so thankful to Merlin that Moaning Myrtle had finally found the love of her life. She was actually afraid that if the ghost was there to witness her numerous breakdowns, she would create a preposterous rumor and worsen her current mood.

The Slytherin incognito had noticed the strange looks she was currently receiving from the students. In truth, she grew more uncomfortable with their scrutinizing gaze, but the suffocating guilt she was feeling would be more overwhelming to the point of ignoring such looks from her peers. She knew she was slacking off; she knew she had not been following her schedule but for once, she chose to be mournful over something that should be rightfully mourned.

She long discovered that Dumbledore had never told them that she was the reason why Teddy died; that she was the 'friend' he was talking about that Teddy had saved. She had mixed feelings over the omission of truth. She was actually relieved that the headmaster did not reveal an important detail to the whole student body, fearing that Teddy's avid fans would join forces and make her last months in Hogwarts a living hell. But at the same time, she grew guiltier and more uneasy, thinking that they should know what had really happened during that specific Death Eater meeting.

What was worse, though, was that as days passed by, she more and more missed Teddy. _Terribly_. There were times when she would wake up in the morning and momentarily forget that he was actually dead. Her eyes would wander on his bed, expecting to see an adorable him greeting her with a cheerful 'good morning', only to remember the harsh truth and further crush her already-in-pieces heart.

She had successfully steered clear off Draco and Blaise. Hermione knew for a fact that they were itching to know the details. The blond even was audacious enough to finally ask her what had really happened but when she merely gave him a pitiful look, he had suddenly turned snarly and stomped to Dumbledore to ask him himself (but then, Dumbledore did not know about the details, too).

Hermione hated how they looked at her: _pitied_. She did not need a reminder of what had happened, thank you very much. She would have snarled them to piss off and mind their own bloody businesses if she weren't too keen in keeping the fact that she was the last person to be with Teddy before he died.

The brunette that time had stood up from the dirtied floor, haphazardly wiping her tears away from her face. Once again, she was in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, alone and miserable. She had been crying an awful lot of time already and she reckoned that her tears would have long dried out. Apparently, she was wrong.

With a flick of her wand, her eyes lost their redness and puffiness. All traces of her breakdown were magicked away.

A rueful smile appeared on her face as she shouldered her bag.

If only her guilt could have been magicked away…

'_Impossible,' _she thought, before completely striding out of the abandoned loo.

* * *

Draco watched with weary eyes as Granger once again excused herself from Herbology, obvious tears gathering at the corner of her eyes.

He long discovered that she was the 'friend' Dumbledore had been claiming in his past speeches. It did not take a bloody seer to know it. Her absences… rubbish excuses… faraway looks… constant breakdowns… Those were enough proofs to him that it was Hermione whom Teddy had saved.

The gnawing emptiness he had been feeling had been present ever since Teddy's death. To say that he was devastated was an understatement. Although, it had bothered him immensely to see that Hermione Granger was somehow _hurting _herself over this matter.

Sure, he did not know the complete details. But he suspected that Hermione had once again tried to be reckless and save her parents, resulting to… _that_. He had been furious at first, yes, because of two reasons: obviously, her recklessness had caused Teddy's death and her recklessness _could have _caused her death. Both weren't exactly the most thrilling thing to think of.

But seeing her becoming almost sick and delusional with guilt? He thought she was mad. Mad, indeed! He knew she was blaming herself unceasingly for what had happened to Teddy. He would have blamed her at first, too, disregarding the fact that he had loved her for ages. But then, he was sane enough to know that it was Teddy's choice to save her. Not that she just suddenly saw the Killing Curse hurtling towards her and instinctively grabbed Teddy to serve as her shield.

Draco found himself glaring impertinently at Harry Potter's back. _He _was the reason for Hermione's sudden intense feeling of survivor's guilt. She had been awfully spending a lot of time around Saint Potter and his attitudes were rubbing off of her.

And it wasn't darn healthy.

The lunch bell rang almost shrilly all over the school and the students enthusiastically stood up from their stools after Professor Sprout dismissed them.

Frowning, he weaved through the hungry crowd, hoping to find Blaise and Teddy… _'Blaise _only_', _he thought with a melancholic sigh. It had been a week now ever since Teddy's death but still, there were times when he would suddenly think of finding Teddy then realize the reality and further make him sullen for the whole day.

He glared at a scuttling first year, which bumped into him. A Hufflepuff, he discovered.

"Watch where you're going," he snarled. The first year was scared shitless and he whimpered, before scampering away from big, bad Draco.

The Malfoy heir was not exactly in a jolly mood as of late; thus, he shouldn't be blamed if he'd suddenly bared off his teeth after being bumped by a first year. And a Hufflepuff, no less!

Draco released a disgruntled sigh and continued his small journey. To his immense astonishment, somebody suddenly yanked him by his arm. A shout of surprise escaped from his lips and the next thing he knew, he was face-to-face with a glowering Harry Potter.

"Potter, a pleasant to see you," he snapped sarcastically, pointedly ignoring how the Gryffindor almost cut off his supply of oxygen, fingers tightly twisting his collar.

"Let's get down to business, shall we," Potter retorted back, his face contorting into an angry one. "What in Merlin's pants is going on with Hermione? _Tell _me, Malfoy, if you do not want me to punch you 'til Pluto becomes a planet."

Draco sneered. "Har har, Potter, your sense of humor had been improving," he said. "Having some secret training with Snape? I did not know that."

Harry's grip with his collar tightened and he did not miss how Draco flinched. "Just tell me, ferret, damn it!" he cried. "This is Hermione we are talking about and you and I both know that _you _cared for her. Hence, you should bloody know what was happening with her, seeing that you are her roommate!"

He scowled. "Who said I care for that bint?" he exclaimed back, cheeks coloring with anger. "Because breaking news, I do not!"

"Be serious, you bastard!"

He huffed. "If you continue to insult me, _you _bastard, then I suggest you let me go," he growled. "And besides, you have this weekly get-together with her. Why not ask her yourself?"

"I've tried to but she wouldn't reply to my letters," he simply said. "And besides, I really haven't found the right time to talk to her."

An amused smirk flitted on his face. "Off busy shagging with the she-Weasel?" he mocked.

Harry, with a dark glare, tightened his grip with his throat.

The Slytherin started sputtering and tried to pry his fingers off his collar. "Get your fingers off me, bloody Potter," he spat. "I might suddenly contract that so-called _survivor's guilt _germs of yours."

Harry grew confused, though, his grip with his collar slackened. "What are you on about?"

Draco rolled his eyes and tiredly sighed, all traces of his cheekiness gone. "Granger's blaming herself for Theo's death," he said, avoiding Harry's emerald eyes.

A deathly silence filled the whole empty alcove, save from the distant footsteps and voices of the late students rushing to the Great Hall for their lunch.

Just then, a loud gasp emitted from Harry's mouth and curious, Draco's mercurial orbs snapped back to his face. Realization dawned on the Gryffindor's face. "Don't tell me…" He faltered, his throat suddenly closing up.

"Yes, Potter," he said with a tired sigh. "She did."

A strangled moan escaped from Harry's lips and he completely released Draco's collar. He stumbled a bit and covered his face, as if in pain. Draco, dumbfounded by his actions, merely stared.

"Sh-she could have…" Harry looked up from his hands and stared straight at Draco, his eyes a mixture of horror and strangely, relief. "She could have… _died_."

"Yes," he firmly said, gritting his teeth. "I know."

"Why that bloody woman!" Harry cried, curling his hands into fists. "Thank Merlin Nott was there or else!"

"Hey!" Draco cried. "Give some respect to the… you _know_."

Harry gave him a sideways glance and grew sheepish. "Right, I'm sorry." And he meant it, which made Draco all the more flabbergasted. "I- is _she _all right?"

Malfoy raised a perfect eyebrow. "What do you think, Captain Obvious?" he spat, crossing his arms.

The raven-haired boy glared. "I'm just… asking," he replied. Harry then released a tired sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "Go away, Malfoy. I'm done with you."

Draco sneered. "Not a good host, are we?" he said, making a move to escape the alcove with Harry Potter. _'Oh the horror,'_ he thought, shivering.

"Malfoy, just… _just go_."

In normal situations, Draco Malfoy would have stayed behind and incessantly badgered the _ever-great _Harry Potter (oh, do mind his sarcasm). But there was something in his expression… in his eyes that almost scared him to death, urging him to turn around and walk away, never even giving him a glance back.

He walked away, dread in his heart, for he knew that expression in Harry's face. _Fear_. Every part of his facial muscle screamed 'terror' and not for his life. Goddamnit, for _Hermione Granger's _life.

After all, he had been wearing that same expression for months now.

* * *

"Mr. Malfoy."

Draco froze and turned around, finding himself face-to-face with none other than the Headmaster. He bristled inside. _'What's with people and suddenly disturbing my peaceful walks?' _he asked, stifling his scowl. "Professor?"

"A word, please." Dumbledore looked eerily grim. Draco had no choice but to follow the Headmaster into a vacant Charms classroom.

He merely waited for the blond to cross the threshold before locking the door with a flick of his wand.

Perspiration formed on his forehead as he stared at Dumbledore. "What is it, sir?" he whispered, suddenly feeling a little nervous. "Is it about my… mother?"

Dumbledore looked fairly surprised. "Heavens no!" he exclaimed, offering him a reassuring smile. "Narcissa is doing well. In fact, she had been able to manage to walk around the gardens of St. Mungo's, which is a good thing, mind you, seeing that she had been too weak to walk to the comfort room before."

Draco released a sigh of relief, although a feeling of foreboding once again settled as soon as the grim look on the professor's face returned. "Then, what is it?" he asked.

The Headmaster sighed in exhaustion. Draco always thought that Dumbledore was _very _old but before his eyes, he seemed to be suddenly older than his true age.

He looked tired, he reckoned.

"It's about Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy," he quipped, his electric blue eyes connecting with his mercurial eyes.

His blood ran cold and he grew uneasy under the Headmaster's scrutinizing gaze. He looked away. "I'm sorry, sir," he slowly said. "But I cannot fathom why you are talking to me about her. You could have called her."

"Ah," Dumbledore said, gracefully sitting himself on the desk in front of the room. "That thought had occurred to me countless times before, my dear student. But I'm afraid I can predict beforehand what she would say." A small smile appeared on his face. "Both of us know that she is always _too _keen in hiding her true feelings, especially the painful ones, even if she is an obvious liar."

Draco smirked. Yup, that's Hermione Granger. "Yes, sir," he softly said.

The aged wizard nodded and brought his hands together. "Now, ever since Mister Nott's… death," he started, "there are obvious changes, _drastic _ones, in Miss Granger's behavior. I believe you are aware of that."

Draco's smirk disappeared and he nodded, his eyebrows slowly knitting together.

"Alas," he continued, "even the teachers are noticing her behavior and they are getting worried. I, for one, am alarmed by her behavior. Had she been eating, Mister Malfoy?"

He was tempted to lie, just to assure the poor old man, but changed his mind in the end. "Barely, professor," he said.

Dumbledore nodded, disturbed. "And her sleeping pattern?"

"Err…" he said, averting his eyes away from his face. "Not that good, either."

The Headmaster hummed. "Do you wish to tell me more, Mister Malfoy?"

He scowled. Was today "Ask-Draco-Malfoy-About-Hermione-Bloody-Granger's-Life Day"? Because seriously, he would punch the person who ever came up with that _brilliant _idea. "She's been crying an awful lot," he muttered under his breath, looking at his hands.

"Yes," the aged wizard said. "And do you have any idea what was happening to Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy?"

He couldn't help it but to sneer. "What do you want?" he asked, bordering rudeness. Upon seeing Dumbledore's eyebrow raise, he merely sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "She's suffering from an extreme case of survivor's guilt, professor."

"Indeed," he said, nodding his head once again. "'Survivor's guilt' is a very, _very _dangerous thing, Mister Malfoy. Especially if you are blaming yourself over something that is not your fault. And Miss Granger… she had been lately doing unhealthy things all because of this. Now" – his electric blue eyes stared squarely into Draco's eyes – "I am asking you, Mister Malfoy, to look after her, seeing that you are the closest one to Miss Granger."

Draco seemed surprised with Dumbledore's request. Heck, he was the closest one to Hermione Granger? It was Blaise, for goodness' sake! Blaise! Like how Teddy was closer to him than Blaise.

A frown marred his handsome face and stared at his hands. "I'm sorry, sir, I cannot," he said.

"And, why is that?" The student could detect the surprise in his headmaster's voice.

The Slytherin's frown escalated into a scowl. "Because… I just _can't_," he said. "I haven't suffered from survivor's guilt before, Professor. For Merlin's sake, I am sane enough to know that some people actually give up their whole life for your safety. Granger _could not _see that Theo did that to her." He paused and took a deep breath. "And besides, she's a _damn _stubborn girl. She would not allow me to knock some sense into her."

Dumbledore chuckled, ignoring his use of language. "Indeed," he said. "But I'm afraid you can try, Mister Malfoy. It's alarming to see one of the brightest witches of her age acting strangely. Aren't you? Especially with your current predicament regarding one Hermione Granger?"

Draco's eyebrows knitted together. _'What in Merlin's bloody beard is this man talking about?' _he asked. _'And goodness! Should his eyes really _twinkle _knowingly that much. If I didn't know him better, I'd say he makes it a point to sprinkle fucking fairy dust in his eyes every morning.' _

Which was stupid, really.

"I am actually not good in talking to people about their feelings," he chose to say, avoiding the old man's gaze. "Even I have a hard time expressing my own feelings."

Dumbledore sighed and thoughtfully ran his fingers through his fingers. "Nothing can be done, then," he said. His electric blue eyes grew grave. "I'm afraid the only solution to our current problem is to send Miss Granger to a Healer of the Mind."

Draco, unable to help it, guffawed. Boisterously. "Are you kidding?" he asked, gasping for breath. Goodness gracious, _Dumbledore _was serious. "Professor, please, you are further bruising her already bruised ego," he assured. "Instead of helping her, you're making it worse."

The Headmaster frowned. "You have a point there, Mister Malfoy," he said. "This is bigger than what I've initially thought."

The blond smirked and slowly shook his head. The old man was sometimes impossible. And to think that he was one of the greatest wizard, if not _the _greatest wizard, of the century. He was worried for Granger, all right. He hated watching the love of his life (_'Meh'_) wasting her whole life blaming herself over something she didn't purposely do.

Both Dumbledore and Potter were quite _ridiculous_, he reckoned. But then again, she was… _is _Hermione Granger. It would be such a waste to see a great mind being overwhelmed by a serious case of survivor's guilt.

Wait - Potter!

"Potter!" Draco exclaimed aloud, realization dawning on him.

"Harry?" Dumbledore said.

The Slytherin eagerly nodded his head. "Potter could help her," he said. "_He _was the one who had been having survivor's guilt. Diggory and Sirius Black's death are enough proof. But look where he is now. Still alive and bragging off his lightning bolt scar. Surely, he had a solution to survivor's guilt."

Dumbledore looked absolutely delighted. "Why, yes, of course," he said. "Mister Potter, then." His eyes merrily twinkled again. "Would you mind telling him? I suppose that it will not hurt to tell him yourself, don't you think, Mister Malfoy?"

He grimaced. "Not at all, Professor. Not at all," he said. Deep inside, he was imagining different ways of ending his life before initiating a bloody conversation with Potter.

"Very well," Dumbledore said, clasping both of his hands in finality. "I thank you for your time, Mister Malfoy. And I do apologize if ever I robbed you off from some hours of studying. This meeting is adjourned and I am ecstatic to see that it had been fruitful. Good day, Mister Malfoy."

Draco inclined his head and watched as the aged wizard turned around, his periwinkle robes billowing behind him.

But then, Dumbledore turned around, a knowing smile on his face. "Miss Granger will be fine, Mister Malfoy," he reassured. "Ergo, I suggest that _you _start eating properly and getting enough sleep instead of fretting too much over Miss Granger's welfare. It is not healthy, my dear student. I repeat, it is not healthy." His eyes twinkled merrily. "Good day, Mister Malfoy."

Flabbergasted, the blond only watched as the headmaster completely exited the room. Once he heard the soft 'click' of the door, he hissed.

Damn Albus Dumbledore and his bloody accurate perceptions.

* * *

"What the – HEY!"

"Be quiet, Potter, if you do not want me to silence you," Draco hissed, pulling Harry into a hidden alcove. A bunch of giggly girls passed through their hidden place and the blond held his breath. At the corner of his eyes, he could see that the Gryffindor mimicked his actions. Wryly, Draco thought that the two agreed on one single thing: they did not want to be in each others' presence for a very long time and also be seen by other people together.

As soon as the girls' laughter faded away, Draco rounded about and stared directly into Harry's eyes, his infamous Malfoy smirk stretched widely on his face. "Now, the tables are turned, don't you think?" he asked. This time, it was Harry pressed up against the wall with Draco's fingers fisting his collar. And not gently, mind you.

"What do you want?" the Gryffindor snarled, looking genuinely annoyed. "If you must know, Malfoy, I'm famished beyond comprehension; I could even eat my own hands now."

Draco looked fairly disgusted. "I always deemed you barbaric, Potter, but cannibalistic?" he sneered. "Now, that is plain disgusting."

Harry, fed up with his antics, sighed and rolled his eyes. He roughly pushed the blond away and crossed his arms, glaring through his spectacles. "What do you want?" he repeated. "If this is to once again mock my go - ."

"It's about Hermione," Draco had cut him off, sounding irritated.

The-Boy-Who-Lived froze on his spot. His menacing position softened, his arms falling limply beside his sides. "Hermione?" he echoed, suddenly growing worried. "What about her?"

The blond rolled his eyes. "Are you daft, Potter?" he asked. "She's suffering from an extreme case of survivor's guilt. _You _once suffered from survivor's guilt. Isn't it logical for you to talk to her or… I dunno, give her some advice or something."

Harry grew thoughtful for a while, his forehead scrunched up in pure concentration. "I'll… try," he finally answered. He pointedly noticed how Draco's shoulders sagged in relief. "But I'm telling you, Hermione's one - ."

" – stubborn bint. Of course, I know that, Potter," he said. "I've been around her for _ages_. Hell, the whole school practically knows about her astounding, and really annoying, steadfastness over particular matters."

Draco grew serious and slightly threatening. "But for Merlin's sake, give everybody a favor and knock some sense in that nuisance, will you?" He scoffed and crossed his arms. "Blaise had been driven crazy with worry over her."

Harry's eyebrows rose, almost hidden behind his fringes. He scrutinized Malfoy, a small frown gracing his features, and shook his head. "You lied about one thing, Malfoy," he said, almost accusingly.

"What is it?" he hissed, glaring.

"You _do _care for Hermione, you jerk," he spat. "Denying it will be extremely futile."

The Gryffindor did not give him time to respond for he brushed past him, not even glancing back.

And Draco, _ever _intelligent Draco, merely stood there on his spot, dumbstruck and frozen.

Damn him and his transparency when it came to Hermione Granger. No, scratch that. Damn _her_.

* * *

A small squeak escaped from her lips when somebody suddenly pulled her aside inside an empty alcove. "Malfoy!" she exclaimed when she whirled around and saw the face of her captor. "What do you want?"

Draco, at first, smiled at himself, amused. Merlin, he'd been in either a hidden alcove or an empty classroom for countless times today.

"Earth to Malfoy," Hermione said, snapping her fingers in front of his face.

The blond scowled and swatted her hands away. "Knock it off," he said, annoyed. When she merely gave him a pointed look, he sighed and rolled his eyes, muttering sullenly under his breath a string of curse words that even made Hermione blush like a silly, little girl. "You have to come with me. _Now_."

"What? Why?" she asked, suspicious.

"Just come with me, you annoying nuisance," he said, grabbing her elbow and dragging her into Merlin-knows-where. Thank goodness almost everyone was gathered in the Great Hall already, eager to eat their last meal of the day.

Hermione recovered from her shock before digging her heels in the stone floor and halting him in the process. "Let me go," she hissed. "I have something important to do."

Draco turned around and glared, scrutinizing her form. His eyes wandered to her toffee-colored eyes and noticed that they were suspiciously too shiny and almost red.

She was about to cry again.

He tiredly sighed and pursed his lips upon seeing the teddy bear she had received from Teddy tucked snugly inside her school robes. His hand absentmindedly slid down from her elbow to her hand and tightly clutched it. "No," he stubbornly said. "You'll come with me."

Hermione tried to pull her hand away but his grip was just too tight. "No," she said, equally stubborn herself. "Let me go."

"You're leaving me with no choice, Granger," he spat, brandishing out his wand and pointing out his wand. The brunette was too slow to brandish out her own and the next thing she knew, she was petrified and almost hit the floor when Draco's arm suddenly wrapped itself around her waist.

He lifted her off the ground and broke into a brisk jog, pointedly ignoring the burning glare she kept on shooting at the back of his head.

And then soon, they were facing the bare wall opposite the tattered tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy.

Draco gently settled her down on the floor until her feet were firmly placed on it. With an arm still encircled around her, he walked thrice in front of the Room of Requirement until a door materialized. He removed the spell on her and before he knew it, he'd been the receiving end of a not-so-gentle slap from the brunette.

"What the hell?" he growled, massaging his stinging cheek.

There were tears already gathered at the corner of her eyes but Hermione was too infuriated to care. "You… you _bastard_!" she shrieked. "How… how dare you? What was that for?"

He snorted and glared at her through narrowed eyes. "I'm doing you a bloody favor, you nuisance," he hissed, removing his hand from his face to tower over her. He ignored the painful stinging of his cheek and continued to glare. "Heck, I'm doing everybody a _favor _and curing Hermes Austen from his so-called _survivor's guilt_."

She gasped, affronted.

"Oh, damn it all, Granger," he exclaimed, ignoring the fact that he was addressing her by her real name even if they were in an open corridor. "Stop with your wallowing of self-pity, will you? It's _fucking _annoying."

Tears trailed down from her eyes but he continued, unable to stop.

"And you are insensitive, do you know that?" he hollered, already seething with rage. "You are blind enough to see that _others_ are worried _shitless _over you because you are not taking care of your bloody self!"

_Me_. I'm fucking worried over you, you bloody cow. I could not eat seeing you barely touching your food. I could not sodding sleep a wink hearing you sob loudly in the night. I could not fucking concentrate in class knowing that you've once again ran off into Merlin-knows-where, crying your eyes out. Damn you.

Oh how he wished he could voice that aloud. But then suddenly, the door of the secret room burst open, revealing an exhausted Harry Potter.

"Malfoy," Harry said with an exhausted sigh, reaching his hand out and clutching Hermione's hand for comfort, seeing that she was crying because of fury, exhaustion, and guilt. "Leave her to me. I can handle her."

Draco glared darkly, especially seeing that The-Boy-Who-Lived had the _audacity _to hold her hand in front of him.

"Malfoy," the Gryffindor said, almost threateningly. "Just go."

Draco looked from Harry to Hermione (who refused to look at him) then back to Harry before releasing a huge sigh, his resolve crumbling down. "Fine," he spat. "Just… just…" He pursed his lips, unable to think of anything to say, before turning around and striding away from the two, not even sparing them a glance back.

As soon as his footsteps were gone, Harry turned to Hermione and ushered her inside the Room of Requirement. He settled her down on the couch while he chose to stand up and unconsciously paced in front of her.

"Are you all right?" he asked, halting in front of her. "I couldn't help but overhear your… row. Thank goodness this corridor is mostly vacant or else, your secret might have been busted then."

Hermione sniffled and haphazardly ran a hand through her face, glaring into nothing. "That… that _bastard_," she hissed, more tears leaking from her eyes. "Who does he think he is?"

"He's just… _helping _you, Hermione," he said, slightly grimacing. "Although he could have done it in a gentler way."

She sighed and looked up at Harry through her wet eyelashes. "Why am I here, anyway?" she said. "Why ask the ferret to drag me here without my permission?"

The-Boy-Who-Lived observed her for mere minutes before sighing and plopping down beside her. "Why are you not answering my letters?" he said. "I've been owling you for days now."

She refused to look into his eyes. "I… have important matters to do," she said. And by that, she meant wallow in self-pity.

"Hermione, really," he said, running a frustrated hand through his already mused up hair. "We very well know you're a bad liar."

The Slytherin in disguise scooted a little away from Harry and looked down at her hands. "I-I don't know what you're t-talking about," she said, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat.

"Is it about Nott?" he carefully asked, enunciating every word. He noticed how her back suddenly snapped ramrod straight, her shoulders tensing. "Malfoy… told me you were suffering from an extreme case of survivor's guilt over what had happened to… _him_."

A sob escaped from her lips and he, startled, looked at her with wide eyes.

Hermione, on the other hand, desperate to contain her emotions, pressed a firm hand against her lips and looked down, refusing to look into Harry's searching eyes.

Just then, she suddenly felt his warm hand clasped comfortingly on her shoulder. "Do you… do you want to talk about it?" he asked. "About what had happened on the day Nott… _died_?"

She furiously shook her head, her tears steadily flowing down from her eyes this time. Harry could distinctively hear her muffled sobs behind her hand and his heart broke into two for his distressed best friend. He gathered her into his arms and just allowed her as she sobbed into his shirt, not minding the fact that she was soaking his uniform.

"It's fine," he said. "You're fine. You'll be fine."

"Y-you don't get it, Ha-Harry," she gasped out in between heaving sobs. "Y-you weren't there to witness i-it."

"What happened?" Harry murmured, starting to draw circles on her back.

She had grown silent for a while, except her cries. And Harry patiently waited for her to calm down. When she finally did, she started to talk, "I-I've seen him die." She shifted on the couch and buried her face on his shoulder. "I-I had been reckless that day. _Selfish_, even. I-I was so focused in saving my parents' lives. A-and then, Te-Teddy came and he o-offered to help me." Her crying fit started again but she continued, nonetheless. "Be-bellatrix Lestrange came" – Harry tensed – "a-and… you know."

"What happened to Bellatrix Lestrange?" he asked, spitting out her name like it was poison.

"I… Obliviated her memory," she croaked out hoarsely. "I-I even think I've completely wiped off her whole memory."

She sniffed and pulled away from his hug, staring at him squarely in the eye. Harry couldn't help but flinch at the raw emotions etched on her face. "I-it was my fault," she cried. "It was m-my fault, he died. If only I ha-had been selfless enough. If o-only I had thought about his welfare. I-if only I - ."

"Stop," Harry firmly said, and her voice died down. "Don't do this to yourself, Hermione. Don't _blame _yourself." She looked away from his firm gaze but he held her chin and gently forced her to look back at him. "Seeing that you were saved instead of the person who was trying to save you is painful, yes. And soon, guilt will form at the pit of your stomach and dig its painful claws deep into your whole body, especially in your heart."

He paused and ran a hand through her short hair, comforting her more. "But what you are doing to yourself is not healthy, 'Mione, trust me. I've been through that already, remember? Wallowing in self-pity and crying almost _every time _will eventually make you sick. You know, it beats the sole reason why Sirius and Nott died – to keep us _alive_."

Hermione, despite her tears, managed to make a small smile. Trust Harry Potter to say such profound words at the right time. His little speech had made an impact in her heartbroken, little heart, and although it had not completely healed the wound, it was starting to bandage up.

"Thanks, Harry," she said, awarding him with a sloppy kiss on his cheek. "That's the most comforting and sensible thing I had ever heard so far."

"You okay now?" he asked, also smiling.

She shrugged. "Not really," she said. "But… your words got me thinking and I actually agree with you." Hermione sighed and closed her eyes, absentmindedly wiping her tears with her hands. "Oh, but I… I-I miss Teddy so, so much." She pulled away the teddy bear from her robes and stared at it, looking at it both fondly and wistfully. "Sometimes, I just forget, you know. My eyes couldn't help but seek for his cheerful smile in a crowded corridor and when I realize that he's not here anymore, I just… I feel that gnawing guilt."

Hermione sniffed and looked down at her hands. "He didn't deserve to die," she continued. "He was… he has a little sister, Annie, who loved him dearly and it breaks my heart to know that I'm somehow the reason why her beloved brother died." She started crying again. "I couldn't help but to hate myself, Harry. That isn't bad, yeah?"

Harry pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "There are times when we couldn't help but hate ourselves," he said. "But, we should ultimately love ourselves first before loving others, isn't that correct? That's actually one of the basic rules of love, after all. It's perfectly understandable if you want to curse yourself, _mercilessly_, but not to the point of making others worried sick about you. I hate to say this but… _Malfoy's _right. Sometimes, we should actually check our actions and see if we are being too insensitive already."

She looked ashamed. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Harry chuckled and fondly ruffled her hair. "What's there to apologize?" he asked in disbelief. "You're undergoing such a very rocky path in your life now." Something flashed in his eyes as he continued to stare at her. "You should be darn thankful you have roommates that actually care for your welfare."

Hermione smiled, thinking that what he had said was the closest compliment she ever heard from Harry Potter to _Slytherins_. Her smile then turned more rueful and she stared off into space. "You know, Teddy once told me he hated me seeing depressed. He said that it pulls his mood down."

"Well, there," he pointed out. "Wherever Nott is now, probably in Candyland, he might be frowning at you now for crying your eyes out, nonstop."

She hastily wiped her tears away. "I'm sorry, Teddy," she playfully said, eyes looking heavenward. "I'll try to be happy for you." A small smile appeared on her face. "Only for _you_."

Harry smiled at her best friend and couldn't help but to pull her into a tight hug again. Somehow, their meeting for today had been productive. Although he hadn't completely 'cured' her from her survivor's guilt, she seemed wiser than the time she entered this room.

"Will you be okay now?" he asked once again. "Are you going to start answering every bloody questions of the teachers and boasting your intelligence again?"

She giggled and playfully punched his shoulder. "Oh, Harry," she said. Hermione then grew serious and held Harry's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I think I'll be fine now."

The-Boy-Who-Lived smiled and squeezed her hand back. "Good," he said. "That's good."

And Hermione, with a somehow relieved sigh, knew that no matter how huge the damage of Teddy's death had been to her heart, she knew that it would gradually heal, knowing that there are people out there who actually care for her and would help her through and through.

* * *

**Review Responses:**

**Nocturnal Rose: **Short review, but nonetheless appreciated by me! Thank you for reviewing :D

**gemini rose: **Haha, don't worry. You're not the only reader of my fanfic who cried. Thanks for reviewing!

**Someonewholovesthisstory: **FIRST OF ALL, I love your not-really-penname XD And I try my very hardest to update on time. I know updating late is frustrating. Trust me, that's how I feel every time my favorite story is not updated on time. And by 'reveal', did you mean Draco realizing it was Hermione's fault Theo died? If yes, then I must agree with you that their relationship did get somehow closer, instead of them drifting apart. And Draco's POV's? I think there was a lot of that in this chapter. What do you think? :D Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Too lazy to log in: **The scene where Teddy's casket was being lowered to the ground, just BESIDE Hermione's fake grave, was truly, TRULY sad. And when she was constantly apologizing to him for his death. T_T Sad, indeed. Thanks for your review!

**Too lazy too login – Cinna: **Another person who was too lazy to log-in XD. I think your review was cut off, or maybe it was just me. Nonetheless, I could feel your sadness through your review T_T Thanks for your review!

**supbrawh: **Wow, THANK YOU. You have no idea how much your simple compliment about my writing skills made my day. And to think that the previous chapter was un-beta-ed! I try my very hardest, especially now that I'm part of the Yearbook Club XD Anyway, thanks for your awesome review!

**Marama: **Pretending he's dead? Sorry to break your bubble, honey, but unlike Hermione's fake death, his was real. I think this chapter had quite established that already. Although I'm tempted to do THAT T_T I do love Teddy, too, if you must know. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**silverwolf1492: **Aww, you've read it in one sitting XD I wish I have the eyes and the time to do that XD My eyes are always killing me, if you must know. Staying up late is bad for my eyes. And haha, your request XD STOP GIVING ME _BRILLIANT _IDEAS :D Kidding, I do not have the heart to kill off Blaise, too. That's all :) Thanks for your review!

* * *

**A/N: And, end! How did you like it? I personally thought that Draco and his various encounters with Harry and Dumbledore were hilarious. And aww, Hermione's survivor's guilt T_T Still can't get over Teddy's death. So, review! Speaking of reviews, I got a whopping 41 reviews for the last chapter! My god, people, you really make me cry. I'm hoping to get a thousand reviews by the end of the story, but at the same time I am NOT hoping. I think you get what I mean XD**

**And Merlin Almighty, have you all watched DH 2? It was EPIC. It was BEAUTIFUL. And it was the end of my beautiful childhood XD Kidding, but seriously, it was wonderful. I was heartily clapping, together with my friends, by the end of the whole movie (including the CREDITS part). We even brandished our straws and exclaimed "Mischief Managed". We received weird looks from people, but we did not give a damn =). **

**I cried countless times. I mean, which avid fan would not? I cried when Fred died. I cried when Hermione and Ron kissed (it broke my heart into a million pieces, seriously). I cried when the Malfoys fled from the war. I cried when Neville was in the scene (of LAUGHTER. Goodness, Neville was one of the awesomest character in the whole movie XD And to top it all, he was GORGEOUS! MATTHEW LEWIS WAS FRIKIN' GORGEOUS)**

**And Snape… OH MY GOD, SNAPE! I lost it when he was killed by Nagini. I FUCKING lost it when Snape's memory was viewed by Harry. "The Prince's Tale" was my most favorite chapter among all of the chapters in the whole series, and I am immensely glad they did it some justice. **

**I still cannot believe that the HP movies are done. I remember the times when a new year would come and I would anticipate the upcoming HP movie. T_T But, despite the end, Harry Potter will always be in my heart XD And there's still POTTERMORE, anyway! **

**So, that's it for now. AGAIN, reviews please! It would be awesome that together with your comments about this chapter, you'd include your thoughts about the movie, too. Probably, we could talk XD As you can see, I'm replying to your reviews again and I hope these reviews make you happy :D **

'**Til next Wednesday or Thursday!**

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe!**


	37. Running Out of Time

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's. **

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**A/N: Well, yay! I posted this chapter TWO days earlier than the supposed date because of two reasons: one, we do not have classes tomorrow! And second, "Only a Pretense" finally has 800 reviews! XD So, I think those two things are enough reasons for posting early, eh?**

**So, just a quick warning, this chapter is still un-Beta-ed. Therefore, if you spot grammatical errors, ignore them :p**

**Anyway, without further ado, I give you chapter thirty-seven!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: Running Out of Time**

* * *

"Blaise, please pass the marmalade," Hermione softly said, looking up from her Ancient Runes textbook.

Amused, the Italian did what she asked for and received a pretty smile as her thanks. She subconsciously spread marmalade all over her bread whilst eyes still glued intently on a particular interesting section of the book.

"Nuisance, the marmalade's dripping all over your textbook," Draco butted in with a sigh. Hermione looked up at him, then to her book, and softly chuckled.

"Right," she said, brandishing out her wand. "Thanks." She waved her magical stick and soon, her Ancient Runes book was as good as new.

Draco gave her a small nod before returning back to his porridge, feeding his complaining stomach.

Blaise watched this scene unfolding in front of him with a pleased smile. He was currently sitting beside Draco while the disguised brunette sat across from him, nose almost touching her textbook.

The noticeable changes in Hermes Austen had been evident three days after she had her conversation with Harry. To say that he was ecstatic with her change was an understatement. Heck, now seeing her properly eating and sleeping soundly at night had been a really great relief for him.

The Italian shot a sideways glance at his best friend and smiled. Draco had been particularly cheery as of late. There had been a day when he was cold towards the still oddly-acting Hermione Granger, giving her his infamous silent treatment while she apologized to him for doing something he could not fathom.

Do not get Blaise wrong. Sure, he still wouldn't back out with the unspoken rivalry he had with Draco between Hermione Granger's affections but to see that his blond best friend was once again his usual self had been a great relief. Merlin, a worried Draco Malfoy was never a pleasant one. Blaise couldn't count with his fingers and toes combined how many people had been the receiving end of Draco's dark mood.

And now that he was actually smirking now (and sometimes smiling, really) had made him all the more happy.

Blaise's eyes then wandered on the seat beside Hermione. The whole Slytherin table had made a silent agreement to always leave a vacant seat wherever Draco, Hermione, and Blaise would seat. No one would dare occupy the said chair, somehow respecting the fact that once they were four and now that the one-fourth was gone, they had to pay their respects.

It was somehow saddening for Blaise. Seeing the empty seat everyday, knowing that no cheerful Teddy Nott would almost skip inside and plop down on it. But a part of him thanked the sensitivity of his Slytherin Housemates (which was actually astounding). As much as he wanted to forget the sadness and pain he had felt for Teddy's death, he did not want to forget the happy memories he had regarding the late Slytherin in this particular Great Hall.

"Ooh, did you know?" Hermione suddenly gushed out, looking up from her book to look at her roommates across from her. "It was a _Slytherin _who proposed the idea of the Hindu-Arabic System! You know, he suggested a new idea of using the unconventional symbols, which are now currently known as numbers. The idea was scorned at first. There was this famous wizard by the name of Solomon Panett…"

"Ooh, did you know," Draco piped loudly, mimicking her excited babble, "some people actually want to eat _peacefully_."

Affronted, the brunette glared and looked back at her book with a huff.

Blaise chuckled and shook his head. He hadn't missed the small, fond smile that flitted on Draco's face before returning back to his breakfast.

It was nice to see that Hermione Granger was back to normal. Blaise did not exactly knew the details of what had happened on the day Teddy was murdered but it did not take a rocket scientist (an expression he adopted from Muggle-born Hermione) to know that she was the 'friend' that the carefree Slytherin had saved.

To his horror, he initially felt resentment towards Hermione, knowing that she had some partial fault over his best friend's death. But after some contemplation in his usual place in the library, he understood that if he were to put himself in Teddy's shoes, he would probably do the same thing, which was to save Hermione Granger.

He shook his head, amazed. What was with them, suddenly having this so-called 'hero complex' every time Hermione Granger was in danger? It was the _Gryffindors' _responsibility, not theirs, the Slytherins! Hell, even their 'Slytherin Prince' Draco Malfoy, the epitome of what a Slytherin should be, had saved her for countless times already.

Hermione Granger was never a damsel in distress. Blaise knew that if he were to call her that in front of her face, he would be mercilessly punched by the brunette. The brunette was no _damsel_. He once thought that she was… _asexual_ (which was stupid). He thought that if she could marry the library, she would do it. Hands down. She was not the conventional, princess type… _Pureblood _type girl. And somehow, she wasn't always in _distress_. Hermione Granger was one, strong girl. Independent, even. She wasn't usually the clingy type who made it obvious to boys that she needed a man to make her happy.

But then, there were times when she would _stupidly _put herself in dangerous situations, bringing out the 'damsel in distress' in her. And those times, Blaise couldn't help but think that Hermione Granger was strangely _endearing _to him.

His musings were cut off when loud screeching from above was heard. He looked up and soon, owls fluttered in, carrying packages in various sizes. As usual, his mother's owl dropped him a package of sweets from home and a letter that would probably announce to him about her new boy toy. Draco received his usual Daily Prophet and was now immersed reading the Quidditch section.

He looked across from him and saw Hermione staring at a parchment clutched tightly in her hands with confusion written all over her face.

"Who's it from?" Blaise asked.

The brunette tiredly sighed. "Dumbledore," she sullenly grumbled. "He asked me to meet him."

"What's with that expression?" Draco asked, one perfect blond eyebrow arched.

"Eh, I can already predict what he'll say," she said, huffing. "And though I'm actually reverting back to my… _old _self, I'm not ready to talk about… _that_."

The two blokes noticed how her face noticeably paled, although they kept their mouths shut. Asking more would probably provoke her or worse, make her cry. They did not really want some weepy, suspicious Hermes Austen visible to the students of Hogwarts.

"Anyway," she quipped, standing up and shouldering her back pack. "I have to go. The Headmaster wants to meet me now."

With a wave of farewell, she turned around and strode out of the Great Hall.

* * *

"Professor? You needed to speak with me?" Hermione asked, poking her head inside Dumbledore's circular office.

The aged wizard was sitting idly on his chair, hands absentmindedly petting Fawkes, who was perched on top of his desk.

"Ah, Miss Granger," he said for greeting, "please come in and do sit down."

Hermione did what she was told and soon found herself staring expectantly at him.

The Headmaster's electric blue eyes were intently glued on her, scrutinizing. The brunette couldn't help but fidget nervously under his gaze, trying her very best not to stare squarely back into his eyes.

"How are you, my dear student?" he asked after moments of silence. "Have you been… well?"

She frowned. "Yes, sir," she softly answered, although the conviction in her voice was lacking. Instead, she swore she sounded a bit tired back there. Her frown escalated and changed into a scowl.

Dumbledore, on the other hand, raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Miss Granger, I think it is best if you will be completely honest with me today," he offered gently.

Hermione struggled to keep the truth inside but in the end relented. There was no use in hiding it anymore. She was tired. _Damn _tired. She could trust Dumbledore with her whole heart. After all, he had been one of her unwavering confidantes ever since her parents were kidnapped.

"No… sir," she whispered. "I'm not exactly okay. But I'm… coping, I guess."

A tired sigh escaped from his lips. His eyes softened for his melancholic student as he slightly leaned forward. "I am aware of this so-called survivor's guilt you'd been harboring ever since Mister Nott's" – she unknowingly flinched – "death. But I also believe that after some coaxing with Mister Malfoy, you were able to talk to Mister Potter. Am I correct?"

She nodded, not knowing what to say.

Dumbledore smiled and to Hermione's immense surprise, gently patted her hand for comfort. "It is normal to feel guilt, Miss Granger. But to be guilty over something you did not do is very, dare I say it, ridiculous." Her cheeks colored in shame. "I know that you sorely missed your best friend. I confess that I've been missing his usual mischievousness but I think it is a bit illogical for you to start blaming yourself, _badly _even, over something you could not control."

"I know that, Headmaster," she meekly said, looking at her lap. "Harry had told me. And I… I understood what he told me. I'm sorry if I'm being a… _nuisance_." A wistful smile appeared on her face upon using the word that Draco seemed to be fond of calling her.

The Headmaster chuckled and waved off a dismissive hand. "Oh my, a nuisance?" he asked. "Please, do not call yourself as such. You are merely reacting over something distressing." His electric blue eyes twinkled merrily. "But I am glad that you are finally eating properly and sleeping well now. I've heard from the professors that you'd been answering some challenging questions already."

He leaned back into his chair and fondly smiled at his best student. "I am glad that you are somehow doing well now," he said. Hermione, unable to help it, smiled back at the old man. "You have such remarkable friends, Miss Granger. You should be happy that they do care for your welfare."

Hermione nodded her head in agreement. True, she had the best-est friends in the whole world.

"Now, we should get down to the real business why I called you here," Dumbledore said. Suddenly, the luster in his eyes dimmed.

The brunette, confused, sat straighter on her seat and gave her full attention to her mentor. "What business, sir?" she asked.

He tiredly sighed. He removed his half-moon spectacles and cleaned it with his sleeves. As soon as the glasses was once again perched on his nose, he started. "It is about your mission, Miss Granger."

Dread instantly filled at the pit of her stomach.

"You are aware that the school-year is about to end," he continued, this time intertwining his fingers together. "And that also meant that the deadline of your mission is also drawing nearer."

"Oh," she said, instantly paling. "I see."

"I am sorely tempted to sugar-coat my words now, my dear student," he said, compassion written all over his face. "But lying to you will be very ungodly. Ungodly, indeed!" He paused and tiredly closed his eyes, leaning his head back at the headrest. When he opened his eyes, they seemed wearier than ever. "Miss Granger, you are running out of time."

A lump formed at her throat, making her slightly gasp for the much-needed air. "I know, sir," she said. "I know."

* * *

"She's being ridiculous!" Draco furiously whispered as he and Blaise stepped inside the Great Hall, greeted by the sweet beckoning of their mouthwatering dinner. "Library over food? She's gone barmy, don't you think?"

Blaise sighed and lead Draco in the Slytherin table, plopping down on his usual seat. Draco sat down beside the Italian, a small frown still marring his handsome face. Two vacant seats sat across from them, untouched by the other approaching Slytherins. "She's… _her_," he pointed out, unable to say her name. "What do you expect?"

The blond rolled his eyes and crossed his arms petulantly whilst Blaise started piling food on his plate. "Don't you notice anything… strange?" he asked. He watched as his goblet filled with pumpkin juice to the brim. "I mean, fine, she's always strange, but her strangeness is… _strange_. If you get what I mean."

"Draco, really, you're being paranoid again," he teased, sending a smile towards little Mina who waved her hand as a greeting.

"I am not!" he cried indignantly, uncrossing his arms. He grabbed a nearby apple and thoughtfully bit a piece of it. "I just… I have this feeling of apprehension, you know." He looked from left to right before leaning a little closer to Blaise. "I think she's once again planning for another rescuing." He made an angry noise at the back of his throat. "And here I thought after Teddy's… you-know-what, some common sense would be knocked off of her. Apparently, it did not. Merlin, I think her survivor's guilt messed up with her logical thinking."

Blaise pointedly looked at his best friend, a piece of roast beef half-munched inside his mouth. "She'd been somehow… silent for two weeks already, Draco," he said after swallowing. "What do you expect?"

Draco glared.

He tiredly sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Merlin, Draco, the end of the school-year is nearing," he stated matter-of-factly. "Don't you think she'd be doing anything and _everything _just to save them from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's clutches? She could, you know, _fail_."

"She's jeopardizing her safety," Draco whispered sullenly, now toying with his peas. "Bloody wanker couldn't even take care of herself properly."

A small smirk settled on Blaise's face. "You know, if I didn't know you better," he started, "I'd say you're scared, _shitless _mind you, over her safety."

To his immense surprise, his cheeks colored and he looked away, scowling. "Sod off, Blaise," he spat. "I'm being serious here."

All the jesting in the Italian's eyes disappeared. "I know," he said, shaking his head. "But Draco, it's her task. She has to do something about it."

Draco glared at his dinner, releasing the hold with his fork. "It's… more dangerous now," he pointed out. "What with all Bellatrix' sudden memory loss of her whole bloody life. Thank Merlin, she's in the loony ward, guarded by some members of the Order. And the fact that the bastard now suspects a traitor among his circle of his followers. The Notts had been guarded by the Order, much to Mrs. Nott's fury, but she had no choice, seeing that her son risked his life for an unnamed person."

He took a deep breath, and then frowned. "And besides, the wards in her parents' room are… tighter, possibly stronger."

"Maybe that's why she's planning now - ."

He had cut him off with a furious sigh. "You don't get it, do you?" the blond said. Upon Blaise's blank stare he growled. "Maybe this time, she'd finally managed to kill herself." Blaise stiffened on his chair. "She's doing it all _alone_, Zabini. What if she did it with neither of us around? Worst things could happen…"

"You're being pessimistic," Blaise offered, hoping to humor him around. Upon seeing Draco's dark glare, he sighed. "Look, if it puts your bloody nerves at bay, I have a proposition to make."

Draco blinked, drawing his eyebrows together. "What proposition?" he asked.

A suspicious smirk appeared on his face. "Let's go find her first, shall we?"

* * *

Hermione was peacefully sleeping in the library after taking a much-needed break, her head placed on top of her Muggle notebook, oblivious to the approaching figures toward her table.

She was then jolted awake when the notebook underneath her was yanked out, her head painfully colliding with the solid table. A cry of pain escaped from her lips as her head shot up. "Hey!" she exclaimed, rubbing a particularly tender spot on her forehead.

Her eyes lost their bleariness, now narrowed at Draco who was coolly skimming her notebook with Blaise by his side, reading over his shoulder…

Wait, her notebook!

"Give that back!" she cried, standing up none-too-gently, toppling her chair in the process. "That is mine!"

To her immense surprise, Blaise pinned her arms behind her back. He was being gentle, of course, but his grip with her captive arms was too tight for her to pull away. "Blaise!" she exclaimed, craning her neck to look over her shoulder. "What are you doing? Let me go!"

Blaise smiled sheepishly and shook his head. "Sorry, no can do," he said.

Her cheeks flared in anger. "You're siding with him!" she cried, pointedly glaring at Draco. "Give me back my notebook, Malfoy! Stop being so privy!"

A loud shushing sound from Madam Pince was directed to their group and embarrassed, Hermione pursed her lips but still stared at the blond, trying her very hardest to burn holes on his inflated head.

"You call this a plan, nuisance?" he said, looking up from her notebook and carelessly waving it around. "The minute you put this plan into action, you'll drop dead."

She growled. "Mind your own business, Draco," she crossly said. "It's my mission. I can do whatever I want."

Fury dangerously flashed into his eyes and he took a few steps toward the brunette, stopping mere inches away. His nose was almost touching hers and she unknowingly recoiled back, forbidden thoughts rushing through her mind.

"Granger, are you out of your mind?" he barked at the same time Hermione hissed. "Your simple researches and intensive pondering will bring you _nowhere _in this task. The wards surrounding your parents' room are stronger than usual." He paused, still seething, and tried to calm his frazzled nerves. "Have you ever paused and really think why you're failing your mission?"

She frowned, rolling her eyes. "Of course, I do," she said. "I guessed I haven't researched more. And I haven't practiced too hard. What kind of a bloody question is that, Malfoy?"

"You're wrong," Blaise quietly quipped from behind her. He slowly released his grip with her arms and walked beside the blond. The expression on his face greatly contrasted with Draco's furious one. Instead, he was sporting a worried look on his face Hermione was driven to look away. "You are not succeeding because you do it _alone_."

She gasped, affronted by the mere idea, and glared at the Italian. "I can very well take care of myself, thank you very much," she spat.

"Austen, can you just for a minute stop being a bloody Gryffindor and be reasonable?" Draco hollered.

"Mister Malfoy!" Madam Pince suddenly said, bustling towards their group. Some heads had turned into their direction but one glare from the menacing blond made them return to their own business. "I've had enough of this ruckus you're making. And Mister Austen! I've expected so much from you. You, too, Mister Zabini!"

Hermione looked down at her feet, ashamed.

"I'm afraid you have to leave this library if you cannot control your own noise," the librarian continued exasperatedly. "Good lord, you are disturbing the supposed serenity in this room! Now, shoo! Before I am forced to deduct points from Slytherin."

"I'm sorry, Madam Pince," Hermione meekly said, head bent low in humility. "We'll just leave now."

She scuttled away, Draco and Blaise in tow. As soon as they were outside the hallway, she rounded at the two and furiously glared. "Now look at what you've done!" she cried, thrusting a finger into Draco's chest. The blond winced, and then scowled. "You made Madam Pince angry!"

Draco scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Bet it's your first time to be kicked out from your precious library, eh?" he snapped.

"Draco, be serious," Blaise said condescendingly and the blond, sullen, merely crossed his arms and pointedly stared at the brunette.

Hermione looked almost tearful it was pitiable.

"Look, Hermi – _Hermes_," the Italian said with a sigh. He placed a comforting hand on her arm and she looked at him, her doe-like eyes wide and shining. "The real reason why we sought you out is because we want to tell you that we want to help you in your mission."

She sighed, exhausted, and ran a hand through her short hair. "No offense," she started, "but the best thing the both of you can do is to stay out of my business."

"Just bloody listen to him, Granger," Draco snapped.

Her eyes dangerously flashed. "Stop calling me that in public, you ferret!" she cried back.

"Stuff it, Draco," Blaise said, this time fully glaring at his best friend. He then looked back at Hermione, eyes almost beseeching. "No, not that, Hermes," he said. "I… _we _want to accompany you when you put your plan into action."

She gasped so loudly it was almost heard all throughout the whole corridor. "You must be kidding," she accused, narrowing her eyes.

"We aren't," the Italian said, shoulders sagging in tiredness. "Judging by your reaction you are strongly against with our offer - ."

- "Damn straight, Blaise Zabini!" –

- "But _listen_," he pleaded, holding both of her arms. "It's the most logical thing to do, Hermes. And no matter what you say, we _insist_."

"No!" she cried, eyes wild with indignation.

"I knew she would be like this," Draco said under his breath, glaring at Hermione through his fringes. "No, nuisance, the decision is not yours. We will bring this to the old nutcase and hear his verdict."

Her cheeks reddened with frustration. "Dumbledore will not agree with this, you git," she cried.

Something indistinguishable settled in his eyes. "We'll see," he said.

* * *

"That is, simply put, a brilliant idea," Dumbledore said with a serene smile on his face, pointedly ignoring the fact that Hermione Granger's jaw just suddenly dropped open.

"Thank you, professor," Blaise said with a meek bow, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Draco, triumphant, threw a smirk into Hermione's direction. "What were you saying a while ago?" he asked.

She snapped out of her surprised stupor and then wildly shook her head. Hermione closed the distance between her and the desk and leaned down, her arms slightly shaking from repressed protest. "_No_," she said, sounding almost beseeching. "Professor, you _can't _agree. This is my mission. I have to do this _alone_."

"Hermione," Harry Potter said, standing a few feet beside Dumbledore's chair, "I hate to say this but their proposition is good."

"Harry!" she cried, surprised that her best friend agreed with the two buffoons standing smugly beside her. "Not you, too!"

"Granger, get over it!" Draco growled. "You need help. We offer help. Dumbledore agreed. End of story. Don't be such a whiner over this matter."

The brunette whirled around and glared, her chest heaving fast because of anger. "You don't understand!" she sputtered out, her cheeks reddening with anger. "Yo-you can't come with me, you bastard! I have to do this alone."

Draco sneered and stood at his fullest height. "What are you afraid about, nuisance?" he bit out.

She looked away, her hands clenching into tight fist.

"If you think we'll die, too, then that is ridiculous, Granger," he said, although the menacing tone he wished to produce was missing.

To his surprise, he had hit a sore spot in Hermione because her head whipped back into his direction, her eyes shining once again with suppressed tears. "Don't be so casual about that, Malfoy," she said in a dangerously low voice. She took a shaky breath, a tear slipping down from her eyes. "I've lost Teddy already."

The last sentence she said was uttered with so much pain and guilt Draco had to look away.

"Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, taking the matters with his own hands. The teenagers in this room had now been overwhelmed with their emotions and he was afraid this meeting would end with at least two of them lying unconscious in the infirmary. "Please, consider this suggestion. I strongly believe that solving things alone will be more futile compared with doing it within a group."

She sniffed and wiped away her tear. "No," she plainly said. "I will not consider it, sir. Nor will I agree on it."

Harry walked away from Dumbledore's chair and strode towards Hermione, a pained look on his face. "I hate that you're being too insensitive again, Hermione," he pointed out, stopping a few feet away from her.

She glared despite the tears gathering at the corner of her eyes.

The Gryffindor sighed and held both of her arms, gazing at her intently. "Listen," he started, "I very much want to help you, too, Hermione. I really do. But I can't, seeing that I am currently working on something about my impending face-off with Voldemort. And besides, I know you won't agree at all, anyway."

Hermione made an agreeing tone at the back of her throat, emitting another sigh from Harry.

"You need help, please understand," Harry said, almost pleadingly. "Every time I discover that you ventured off to the Malfoy Manor and put your mission into action, dread always settled at the pit of my stomach. Let's face it; you can't do this alone, 'Mione. I am not insulting you and your independency but _still_, you have to go there with someone, even if it's Malfoy and Zabini, for Merlin's sake - !"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Draco shouted at the same time Blaise exclaimed an indignant "Hey!"

Harry brushed them off and fully focused his attention at a now crying Hermione. "You need help," he repeated once again.

Anger and betrayal appeared on her face and she pushed him away. "I said _no_," she spat. "I don't need help! I can do this alone."

Hermione then turned away and ran out of the Headmaster's Office.

* * *

When Draco and Blaise arrived back at their room, Hermione was stiffly sitting on Teddy's vacant bed, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. All of the tears that were evident during their meeting with Dumbledore were now gone. Instead, her eyes were glinting angrily in the dark as she watched her roommates stride inside her room.

"What were you two thinking," she said through gritted teeth, now standing up into her fullest height. "Teaming up against me?"

"Oh, quit being melodramatic, Granger, I'm tired," Draco snarled, turning his back away from her.

"I'm not done with you, Malfoy!" she growled back.

Draco was startled with her sudden harsh tone and he whirled around, irritation clearly etched on his face.

"Look, why don't we let this pass 'til the morrow come," Blaise offered, looking from his best friend to the object of his attention. "It is clear that all of us are tired and exhaustion might probably be messing up with our practicality right now."

The two ignored Blaise's pleas of a peaceful night. Instead, Draco strode angrily towards Hermione until he stopped a few feet away from her.

"You think you can do everything, huh, Granger?" he spat, his anger radiating through the tone of his voice. Unable to help it, Hermione flinched but unwaveringly held his gaze. "You think you are high and mighty, bloody _invincible_, that even you can conquer death?"

She looked affronted. "I did not say that!" she cried.

"Well, you're implying it!" he barked back, towering over her form menacingly. "Goddnamnit, are you even telling me that you want to bring Voldemort down, the prophecy be damned?"

"Shut up, Malfoy!' she cried. "I do not!"

But Draco was unable to stop. "Breaking news, Granger, even your bloody Potter, even _fucking _Dumbledore, even me, _even you _needs to be helped sometimes! We are not bloody superheroes. Wake up from your sodding fantasy, Granger. This is reality!" He was breathing heavily now and he did not care when tears started to slip down from Hermione's eyes.

"Draco…"

"Stay out of this, Blaise!" he hollered, glaring at his best friend. When he looked back at Hermione, his anger increased ten-fold. "That's right, _mope _around. Let's just see if your plan miraculously happened smoothly if you do this all alone."

He thrust a finger into her collarbone and startled, she recoiled back from his touch. "You want to do this all by your _fucking _self, right? Then fine, I'll give you that. Just remember that if this bloody plan of yours failed, Theo's death will be put into waste."

With a flurry of billowing black robes, Draco was gone from the room.

There was silence at first except from Hermione's heavy breathing. Angry tears continued to flow down from the brunette's eyes and she did not even bother brushing them off.

"He's just worried for you, you know," Blaise said, offering a handkerchief to the distressed brunette.

"Well, he has a _lovely _way of showing it," she snapped back sarcastically, haphazardly wiping her face with the said clothing. "Sweet Salazar, he's so _insufferable_."

"Hermione," he said, clutching her arm for attention, "he's right."

Hermione pulled her arm away and glared at Blaise. "You're siding with him," she accused.

He tiredly sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'm not siding with anyone in this ridiculous fight," he interjected, crossing his arms. "Look, just listen to this, okay? After this, I'm going to leave you alone to let you contemplate." He took a deep breath before settling his onyx eyes firmly on her form. "Had it ever occurred to you that we want to help you because we _want _to? That we know that it can cause our death but still choose to help you?"

"Blaise…"

"No, listen first," he quipped in, giving her a pointed look. "I know how devastated you are with Theo's death. Both Draco and I are, too. Oh, especially Draco, although he tried his hardest not to show it. I cannot guarantee you that we'll still live after helping you in your mission. But we just… we just want to help you because we _care _about you. You have no idea how that stupid oaf who just strolled out of this room care so, _so _much about you, Hermione. We don't want to see you hurting. And so, the only thing we can do is to offer you our help."

He fondly ruffled her short hair and gave her a small, charming smile. "I hope you reconsider our proposition of helping you," he said. He pulled away his hand and started off to the bathroom. "I'll see you in the morning."

And with that, he disappeared, leaving a disgruntled brunette behind.

* * *

Hermione finally arrived at the Quidditch Pitch the day after her huge row with Draco.

The next day, _today_, the blond had avoided her like she was the plague herself. He did not eat with her and Blaise and he chose to sit at the farthest chair from Hermione during classes. The brunette was actually disturbed with this, especially because Blaise was being avoided, too, since he kept on hanging around with her.

She was actually grateful for their momentary rift (momentary since she believed their fight would be amended sooner or later, though she hoped for the former). She had been thinking for the whole day about their proposition and quite hard, mind you. Knowing her, she had even written the pros and cons of the said proposition. The pros were not exactly bad; they were even extremely advantageous. But the cons were dreadful, making her ponder once again what her decision would be.

Dumbledore had once again called her today, asking for her decision. And she, still slightly undecided, finally answered a meek 'yes'. To say that the old wizard was ecstatic was an understatement. He even offered her to take his full bowl of Lemon Drops. Dejected, Hermione declined his offer and walked out of his office.

Hermione still hadn't told both Blaise and Draco; she needed another moment to think if what she did was the right thing. If ever she changed her mind and wanted to do her mission alone, she could still tell Dumbledore without Blaise and Draco throwing a monumental fit. Oh, especially Draco.

Speaking of the blond, Hermione found herself walking towards the Quidditch Pitch, guided by the bright moon and the stars gathered around it. She had sought for Draco all throughout the school, even asking Blaise, but when she couldn't find him, she thought of looking for him in the Quidditch Pitch. She long discovered that when Draco was bothered by something, he played Quidditch (just like Harry). And she knew that her adamant refusal over their proposition was making him bothered; thus, he was probably playing the wizarding sport.

Apparently, she was right, for she immediately spotted his shocking blond hair as he sat idly on the grass, gazing thoughtfully up at the velvety night sky.

She was suddenly hit by a huge wave of déjà vu. A wistful smile formed on her face as she just stood there and silently watched him. The first time she had been here, also seeking for Draco Malfoy's presence, was the time when she wanted to apologize for spewing all over him. Funny how she was here once again, although this time, apologizing for something far greater than a frivolous accident.

Hermione thought he was really a handsome boy. No, scratch that, _young man_. Draco had been remarkably a mature adult for her ever since she got to know him better (and started to fancy him). Although, there were really times when the child in him would resurface and act immaturely over something so insignificant.

'_Like right now,' _she thought, frowning.

She couldn't really understand why he was adamant of helping her… and risk his whole life, save from the fact that Blaise insisted that Draco _cared _for her. Which was ridiculous for her, actually. Draco Malfoy never cared for anybody, except for himself.

'_But come to think of it, he cares for Teddy and Blaise,' _she thought.

Thus, Hermione concluded that the Draco she once knew never cared for anybody. The Draco she knew _now_, was like every human in the world who was capable of caring. Even caring for _her_.

A small, silly blush appeared on her cheeks and she goofily smiled. Her heart fluttered pleasantly in her ribcage, still thinking about the fact that Draco Malfoy did care for her.

Hermione immediately caught herself and shook her head, mortified with where her thought was leading to. Sure, she suddenly had these stupid and foolish feelings for Malfoy but she did not want to get so hopeful, knowing that her heart would be crushed in the end. Maybe Draco only looked at her just like how Harry regarded her: a sister.

Ignoring the painful clenching of her heart, she determinedly walked towards him until she was mere meters away from his form.

"Draco," she said, announcing her presence.

His calm eyes morphed into unadulterated annoyance as he looked up at her, scowling. "Granger," he growled, "here to rant off one of your feministic views again?"

Hermione frowned. "Malfoy, I didn't come here to fight," she said, sounding almost exhausted. "I… I want to apologize."

He seemed skeptic at first. "What, you won't convince me that you're a bloody grown woman and you can take care of yourself?" he asked, faux surprise in his voice. "I'm at awe, Granger. Really."

"Draco, be serious," she snapped at him. "I'm being serious here. The least you can do is to listen to me."

"Being snappish isn't part of apologizing, nuisance," he said, glowering.

She scoffed and crossed her arms. "Look, I'm being humble enough to apologize to you when both you and I know that you're the one at fault here."

"EXCUSE ME?" he bellowed, standing up from the grass.

"You heard me, you annoying, twitchy ferret," she said. "It's your fault we're having this ridiculous fight in the first place."

He looked affronted. "Oh, the audacity of this woman," he cried to the heavens above before returning his gaze back at her, shaking his head. "You are unbelievable, nuisance. Who was being stubborn enough yesterday and practically begging _me _to let her go and embrace death all by herself?"

She looked away, frowning. "I'm not begging you so that I can embrace death, Draco," she pointed out. "I have reasons for being adamant."

"Stupid reasons, Hermione," he spat, too enraged to care that he'd called her by her first, given name in a very open field where people could probably overhear.

"_Reasonable _reasons," she corrected, looking back at him. The fury that once showed in her eyes mellowed. This time, she looked at him, beseeching. "Listen, before you act like an offended hippogriff again, I would like to say that I told Dumbledore that I'm agreeing that you and Blaise can be with me on the day I put my mission into action."

He looked absolutely surprised. "Really?" he gasped.

Hermione tiredly sighed and nodded. She found herself suddenly so exhausted; thus, she lowered herself on the ground and leaned her forehead against her propped knees. "Yeah," she said, sounding defeated. When she looked up at Draco, she managed to flash a small smile. He seriously looked ridiculously adorable. "Close your mouth, you twerp. A fly might suddenly be enticed by your almighty mouth."

Draco blinked, sputtering, before plopping down on the grass right in front of Hermione. "I'm at _awe_, Granger. And I'm not being sarcastic now, I swear," he said in disbelief, shaking his head. "I cannot believe you just… what caused the change?"

The brunette shrugged. "I've pondered about it for the whole day, Draco, when you tried to avoid me like I'm the plague myself," she shot back, which promptly made him sheepishly smile. "And I just thought that I'm fighting a losing battle. It's me against what? Four of you? I know I'm bloody stubborn but combining you and Harry will be worse."

"Speak the truth," he growled, looking at her menacingly.

"I am," she said. "Just so you know, I'm still strongly against of you and Blaise helping me. I…" She faltered, her throat suddenly closing.

He sighed and rolled his eyes, crawling towards her until he was sitting beside Hermione. "If you think that we're just going to just suddenly die and all, Granger, then you're being preposterous," he said.

"But what if you suddenly did?" she asked, sounding a bit panicky. "What if Death Eaters suddenly arrived and hurtled Avada Kedavras in both of your direction."

"Nonsense," he assured.

Hermione looked at him squarely in the eye, her eyes strangely glossy. "Truth," she interjected. "I'm not lying back there in the office of Dumbledore, Draco. I've lost Teddy already and I…" A tear slipped down from her eyes and she looked away, embarrassed. "I don't want to lose you, too, Draco. Not _you_, too."

His heart hummed in delight, hearing such words from the girl of his dreams. She did not want to lose him. _'She did not want to lose me,' _he thought in his mind, trying his best not to goofily smile but failed miserably. _'She did not want to lose me at all.' _

"… and Blaise. I don't want to lose Blaise, too."

He blinked, his goofy smile disappearing.

Right.

She did not want to lose Blaise, too.

For some strange reason (he knew the real reason; the stubborn git just wanted to deny it), he felt slightly enraged. "Quit being absurd, Granger," he snarled, rolling his eyes at _his _own absurdity. "Blaise and I are grown up boys."

She sneered. "How come you can say that when I cannot?" she shot back, absentmindedly wiping the tear away. "How sexist, Malfoy." She daintily sniffed and glared. "And besides, Teddy was a big boy, too and look at what happened to him…"

He raised an eyebrow, surprised when a small smile formed on her face. "It's good to see that your dry humor is back, nuisance," he said. "I missed that."

"Oh, Draco, really," she said, softly chuckling under her breath. She stood up, brushed off the seat of her pants. Draco followed her lead and was soon standing up, too. "I'm going back now."

"Good," he said. "Tell Blaise to stop bitching around and forcing me to _apologize _to you first. Oh, and tell him he owes me five galleons. I won the bet."

Her eyebrows knitted together. "What bet?" he asked.

He smirked. "What do you think, Hermione Granger?" he asked. "You're bloody smart; you'll figure it out."

Her eyes narrowed. "You made a bet about our fight? That you think _I'm _the first one who'll relent and apologize to you?" she snarled, accusing. "I should have known you Slytherins are insolent. Playing over something very serious."

"Our fight was serious?" he asked, surprised.

She playfully punched his shoulder, scowling. "Thank Merlin that was merely a playful punch you've gotten, Draco Malfoy," she scolded, wagging a finger.

Draco merely shrugged and made shooing motions. "Go back to the castle," he said. "I'm about to play Quidditch again."

"You know," she said as an afterthought. "Sometimes you act so much like Ron. What with all your Quidditch mania."

"Don't compare me with that Weasel, Granger," he growled, glaring. "That's bloody disgusting."

Hermione immaturely stuck out her tongue then whirled around, walking away.

She was a good ten feet away from him when he shouted something that had greatly surprised the two, especially the blond.

"I won't let anyone touch you, Hermione," he hollered. "Not even Voldemort."

She halted in her steps and whirled around, surprised clearly etched on her face. From her place, she could see an extremely embarrassed Draco Malfoy, his green Quidditch robes billowing playfully with the wind. Good Godric, it wasn't everyday she could be able to see with her own eyes a very proud and aloof Draco Malfoy… so out of his character.

Hermione couldn't help but think he looked endearing to her right there and then.

Before she knew it, her feet were urging her back to him, her arms outstretched. And when she landed in front of him, she threw her arms around his neck and to her great surprise, she started to cry.

"I-If you died on our mission," she blubbered out, burying her nose at the crook of his neck, "I-I'm going to do anything, and I mean _everything_, just to resurrect you back so that I-I can kill you myself, you bloody bastard."

She pulled away, gazed intently at his frozen mercurial orbs, before giving him a sloppy kiss on his cheek.

Hermione then pulled away and ran back to the castle, not even giving him a spare glance back.

And so, Draco was left all alone, dumbfounded beyond comprehension. He was so sure his sanity had left him as soon as soft chuckles emitted from his lips, his right hand touching the place where her sweet lips had just kissed him.

His cheeks turned into a vivid shade of red as he flashed his infamous 'Draco smile', the moon and the stars witnesses to a very rare moment.

Oh, how he loved Hermione Granger.

So _sodding _much.

* * *

**Review Responses:**

**Too lazy to log ib: **WAH, I'm so sad to hear that! T_T I've never really experienced 'survivor's guilt', so I can't really relate. So… thanks for reviewing :)

**ninafelton229: **Yes, AGREED! I had some apprehensions, thinking that Hermione's being too sobby-sobby already. But anyway, I still think she had every right in the whole damn universe to cry over Teddy's death. As for Draco comforting her… I still think it would have been more effective if it was Harry, who also went through the same thing, comforted her XD Well, that's my opinion so I respect yours. And yes, it's Dramione, so there would be so much more of them in the future… Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Too-Lazy-To-Login-the-Third: **AHAHAHAH, The Third? My god, that's priceless. And to answer your question as to why this story is awesome? Well, my friend, the answer is simple – I have AWESOME reviewers (like, let me think… YOU!) who always tell me how much they love my story; hence, I try my hardest to make it as awesome as possible *wink* *wink*. And nothing's strange about falling in love with a story. My first love is a book; hence, we are the same XD Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Someonewholovesthisstory: **I can't bear making Harry and Draco fight over the fact that the latter loves the former's best friend XD I think Draco had somehow proven himself to Harry that he really cared for Hermione. And wow, no need to compliment me too much about Harry being Hermione's solution to her "survivor's guilt". Now, you're making me blush :P And I miss Teddy, too. Ever since I've finished the epilogue of the story, which was like ages ago, I still have thoughts of what would it be like if I kept Teddy alive until the end of the story. Haha, I know what 'kawaii' means. I've read too much manga already. As for the movie, if Snape and Lily end up together, then there would be no Harry Potter… or probably there would be, and Hermione and Draco would have probably ended up together… DAMN JAMES POTTER! Anyway, thanks to your wickedly awesome review! XD

**Too Lazy to Login – Christie: **Well, yay for reading this the whole day! And kudos, huh? I've always loved that word. KUDOS to you for using that word to me XD A good idea about Hermione and the time turner but I've finished the whole story already and I'm saying that that scene is not included :( Haha, and yes, I actually made Teddy act different from the other Slytherins on purpose *wink* *wink* And Blaise Zabini had always intrigued me, even in the books. I'm quite disappointed he did not have enough exposure in the book series. And why are you apologizing for your compliments? They're very much welcomed. I do not care if you ranted about them for HOURS XD Anyway, thank you for your review!

**Nocturnal Rose: **Well, I hope I did not disappoint you in this new chapter! Anyway, thanks for your review!

* * *

**A/N: Well, how was it? I EFFING adored the last Dramione part I made XD Please tell me about your opinions.**

**So… chapter thirty-seven, huh? Five more chapters, including the epilogue and "Only a Pretense" is done T_T Anyway, so I was thinking about my schedule and realized that two weeks from now, I will not be able to post a new chapter. I'm sorry… don't shout at me XD Meaning, I will not be able to post chapter thirty-nine and forty, too, because I'll be gone for two weeks (I'll be going to S-P-A-I-N!) So there XD**

**And, I think I'll be able to post the chapters earlier than the scheduled date. A very important entrance exam is coming up, and if I did not pass it, then I'm doomed. Forever. Well, that's an exaggeration but I think my Filipino readers will agree with me (you know… UPCAT?) So, I think that's good news for everyone!**

**Anyway, I think that's it! Once again, reviews please. I mean, WOW, I've reached 800! That's AWESOME for me already!**

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe**


	38. Finally

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, THEODORE NOTT, Voldemort, Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore, Narcissa Malfoy… *cries* HOW DEPRESSING.**

_**Ahem**_**. Not mine, not yours. Only JK Rowling's**

* * *

**A/N: SO YAY! It's a Sunday here, and I think it's the earliest update I've ever made for this story. I wasn't really planning to update today, but I realized that on the Friday would be my seventeenth birthday (I'm so old!) Therefore, I planned to update today and on Friday as my birthday "gift" to all of you. See? That's how much I love you all!**

**Before anything else, again, I must warn you that this chapter is un-beta-ed. If you detect any grammatical errors, ignore them. *wink* *wink***

**Anyway, without further ado, chapter thirty-eight!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: Finally**

* * *

The day after Hermione apologized to Draco, the two announced the brunette's decision to their other best friend. Blaise, with a charming smile, nodded his head, grew even bolder than before and gave Hermione a hug. The brunette was surprised with his actions but returned his affections, nonetheless. It was only Blaise who saw how Draco darkly scowled at him, his mercurial eyes dangerously glinting in their dark room. And he, unable to help it, triumphantly smirked back at him.

Now, Voldemort had already cancelled two trainings for the Death Eaters, which was not really surprising, according to Draco. Knowing that a traitor (or possibly _traitors_) was probably part of the newly recruited Death Eaters, the Dark Lord had been wary now. But then, that coming Saturday, he decided to pursue the trainings for the newbies.

Hermione was delighted with the news, knowing that it was finally their chance to put their mission into action. Draco sternly reminded her that the wards of her parents' room were stronger than before; their complexity could almost drive a veteran Auror insane. And also, more Death Eaters were appointed to guard the supposedly hidden room.

But the brunette was one stubborn woman; that much they knew. Thus, the blond was not entirely surprised when she uttered a somehow snarling "Who cares?" and demanded for him to give her a full list of all the spells guarding her parents' room. Without much choice, Draco relented and gave her a full list written from memory.

And so, that had brought the three of them in the library, head bent over huge tomes of books varying in size, concentration clearly etched on their faces.

"This spell," Draco announced, momentarily looking up from his book to stare at Hermione, "saying it is quite simple but… I can't understand the wand movement."

"Give it here," Hermione said, holding out her hand.

"It's quite heavy…" His voice faltered when a shout of surprise escaped from her lips, the book Draco was previously clutching now a haphazard heap on the floor.

She gave him a scowl upon seeing his smirk. "Thank you for the reminder," she growled, bending down to retrieve the heavy book. "It's greatly appreciated. _Really_."

"It's my pleasure, nuisance," he said, inclining his head for mock politeness.

Hermione gave him a withering look before starting to peruse the book.

Blaise regarded both of his best friends with mild amusement. A chuckle escaped from his lips as he scribbled down information from the book he deemed important.

Draco, on the other hand, shot Hermione a quick, faint smile, before returning to his parchment and quickly scanning what he had jotted down.

These past few days had truly been exhausting for Draco. Their NEWTs had been nearing and the teachers had grown sadistic, giving off homework and practice tests like there was no tomorrow. Plus, there were their grueling researches and practices for their impending rescue of Hermione's parents. The brunette was equally sadistic, demanding all of their free time to help her. Draco and Blaise had whined about her bossiness at first but after threatening that she'd ditch them and go to the manor alone had shut them up and diligently returned to their researching.

A fond smile appeared on his face as he shot her a subtle glance. Her short hair was mused up impossibly due to the fact that she had been running her hand through it in frustration. Her disguised clothes, he observed, were crumpled messily. She was once again worrying her bottom lip, a manifestation of her unwavering concentration.

All in all, she looked ridiculous adorable to the blond now.

He remembered the day she apologized in the Quidditch Pitch; the day when she suddenly kissed him on his cheek. The next time they saw each other was _excruciatingly _awkward for him. Hermione acted as if _it _never happened, which made him slightly annoyed. The only reaction he gauged from her was from, _thank Merlin, _Pansy Parkinson.

The said Slytherin came into the scene during dinner that day, asking Draco for help for her Potions homework. He did help her and as for her thanks, since she finally understood the lesson, gave him a casual peck on his cheek.

Draco was so used to Pansy's sudden affection. After all, she used to like him. But what surprised him was _Hermione_. For some strange reason, his eyes strayed on Hermione at the same time Pansy kissed him. Her cheeks colored darkly and when Pansy bounded off to Merlin-knows-where, Draco raised his eyebrow at her. Hermione quickly covered her mouth and coughed, averting her eyes away from him.

That memory never failed to make him smile. It somehow gave him hope that maybe… **Maybe**.

"OW!" Draco suddenly hissed in surprised and pain, getting a loud shushing noise from Madam Pince in the process. He shot the librarian a scowl before directing it to Blaise. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"I'm sorry, my book slipped," he said, bending down to retrieve his book strategically placed beside Draco's now sore foot. "It won't happen again." The Italian then shot him an innocent smile, which prompted him to roll his eyes.

In Draco's opinion, Blaise had grown preposterous and almost insufferablethese past few days. There were times when he would physically hurt him without really knowing the reason why. Oftentimes, he would just annoy the magic out of him, even _daring _to touch Hermione Granger, making sure that he could plainly see.

The blond knew about their unspoken rivalry over Hermione's affections (_'Gah'_). He had bet that men all over the world had some intuition like this when it came to their feelings. Thus, Draco somehow detected that his determination to win Hermione's heart had prompted Blaise to act as such.

Of course, Draco knew his feelings for the brunette was way _stronger _than Blaise. He'd loved her since freshmen year, goddamnit! The Italian, on the other hand, had just recently discovered his newfound affections for Hermione.

He had this inkling feeling that if she were to choose, hypothetically of course, she would choose _him_.

'_Oh, who are you bloody kidding, you idiot?' _a voice inside the Malfoy heir snarled at him. _'You're nothing but insufferable to her. And Blaise… he's a sodding Prince Charming, for Merlin's sake!' _

He gave Blaise a not-so-subtle glare, which the Italian had caught, since he shot back an equally vicious one.

"It's almost curfew," she said, cutting off their glaring contest. Hermione had started gathering the book on the table and with a wave of her wand, they all returned back to their proper places. "I think it's best if we go now."

The two blokes simultaneously nodded and followed her out of the library.

Before they completely walked out of the room, Draco inconspicuously slapped the back of Blaise's head.

"You deserve it, Zabini," he growled when Blaise glowered at him, before bounding off towards the brunette who had halted in her steps, watching the two with confusion in her eyes.

"Bloody Malfoy," Blaise muttered under his breath before resuming his walk, taking the vacant side beside Hermione.

As they continued to journey, the two thought with amused smiles on their faces, that their late best friend would be so proud of them, now acting like immature brats, fighting over one girl.

* * *

The sun was already setting once the trio walked out of the castle. The sky was painted with a gorgeous orange hue and the moon, a crescent one today, ascended up into the sky, taking the place of the sun.

The weather for today was absolutely fair, which wasn't really surprising, seeing that summer was fast approaching. The breeze was not entirely cool, but not so hot either, as they played with the trees, whose leaves were dancing vigorously on their branches.

Cicadas and crickets could already be heard from their place. Some birds fluttered back to their nests, readying for their sleep. There was a faint splashing noise coming from the Black Lake as the Giant Squid glided, doing various strokes of his choice.

Draco, Hermione, and Blaise ignored the somehow pleasant night, tension and anxiety settling in their hearts. They seemed too horrified to speak; their mouths long dry as night drew closer.

Today was a Saturday, and students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry normally rejoiced. Saturdays were always a treat, a break from backbreaking and mind-boggling classes.

But not for the three of them. Heck, not for almost _half _of the Slytherin population.

It was a well-known fact in the whole common room that Saturdays meant training days. And training days equate punishment and horror.

But tonight, the tension among the three friends was especially thicker. If one was to cut it with a knife, it would not be impossible.

Hermione's hands constantly clenched and unclenched, her normally beating heart now racing as if she just had a marathon. Draco's mercurial eyes, already softened by time and age (and the fact that he was constantly close to Hermione Granger now), were abnormally dark and sharp that night. Even ever calm Blaise had his jaw tightened, his breathing coming into erratic gasps he wished to suppress.

Just so they could get away from the unusually stuffy common room, they agreed to visit Teddy's grave. It was located near Hermione's fake one and to say that Hermione was not nervous was like saying Dumbledore's senile (although, there were times when he acted as one, but that was beside the point).

It had been the first time she would visit her carefree best friend's grave ever since his death. Hermione had started to revert back to her old self, the survivor's guilt she had been feeling now mellowed into simple longing for his presence. But still, she did not have the heart to visit his grave, afraid that she would breakdown right there and then and start feeling extremely guilty all over again.

She was actually thankful for Draco and Blaise's presence. The two, although being lately annoying now (with their constant petty bickering and fights), actually made her sane. But then, she was a tad wary, thinking that if she did breakdown, they would witness it. And she did not want that.

"We're almost there," Blaise announced, not entirely sure why he was saying it, seeing that they'd visited this place countless times (although with entirely different reasons). He guessed it was probably for the sake of saying something, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the silence that hovered over their heads.

Hermione's breath hitched once spotting her grave, seeing the new tombstone a few meters beside hers. Her hands unknowingly started to shake and she clenched them tightly just to stop her tremors.

"You okay?" the Italian asked, worried eyes glued intently on her. "You're pale."

She cracked a small smile and shook her head. "I'm just being ridiculous," she assured. "I'm fine."

At the corner of her eyes, she could see the frown which Draco had directed on her closed fists. She opened her hands and tried to make them more relaxed.

Finally, they arrived. Hermione's eyes had gone wide as saucers, a huge lump forming in her throat. She looked away from the new grave placed beside the fake one, unable to contain her emotions anymore. Just then, she felt a hand enclosing with her own and she looked up, surprised to see that Draco was looking at her worriedly, his thumb now drawing circles on her palm.

Tears that she tried to desperately stop stubbornly leaked out from her eyes, landing on her quivering chin.

"I-I'm sorry," she said with quiver, haphazardly wiping her face with her free hand. "O-oh Merlin, I-I'm being ridiculous again."

"It's okay to cry," Blaise announced forlornly, offering her his handkerchief. She gratefully accepted it and he relished on the small smile she directed at him. The Italian also pointedly ignored the fact that Draco was holding her hand and crushed the building jealousy in his system.

They stayed silent for a while, all thoughts reminiscing the times when one-fourth of their group was still present. It was Hermione, now slightly calmed, who broke the silence.

"It's been what, two weeks now?" she asked, daintily sniffing. "It seems like yesterday."

"Yeah," Draco echoed, eyes trained intently on the epitaph on top of Teddy's grave.

The sun had finally ended its setting, now hidden away, waiting for the arrival of the morning.

"I think we should better go now," Blaise offered, looking at his best mates. "You know, prepare and all."

Hermione firmly nodded her head and subtly disentangled her fingers from the blond's. She did not catch the dissatisfied frown that appeared on his face for she brandished her wand and concentrated in producing a sunflower.

If the brunette were to liken Teddy to a flower, the sunflower would always come first into her mind. It was such a… _happy _flower and Teddy was particularly the most cheerful person she had ever met. Just knowing that she would not be able to see him anymore had made a permanent hole in her heart to form.

She knelt down in front of his grave, reaching out a hand and gently brushing her fingers over his name. "I hope you're happy wherever you are, Teddy," she softly whispered, allowing more tears to trail down from her face. "I hope they're satisfying your sweet tooth." She released a wet chuckle and sniffled, brushing her tears with her free hand.

Hermione stared at the sunflower in her hands and gingerly kissed it. Once her lips were mere meters from the petals, she whispered, "I miss you, Teddy." She then placed the flower on top of his grave, a wistfully smile forming on her face.

She stood up, eyes still intently trained on his tombstone, and then took a deep breath. "We'll accomplish our mission today," she said softly, although with unadulterated conviction. "For you, Teddy."

To her surprise, both Draco and Blaise simultaneously muttered a soft, "For you."

She looked up at them and smiled, eyes still glossy from her tears. "Let's get ready now, shall we?"

* * *

"Are you all set, my dearest spies?" Dumbledore asked, regarding his best students with a serene smile on his face. Although, the three couldn't help but notice that the usual twinkle in his eyes was absent.

"Yes, sir," Hermione meekly answered whilst the other two slightly nodded their head.

The Headmaster sighed and stood up, walking upfront until he was standing a few feet away from his students. "What you are to do now is something very, very noble," he said. "And please, Mister Malfoy, do not sneer at me for I am stating the truth."

Draco, with a quick apology, forced the sneer away and instead looked back at him with indifference.

"Now, it is as noble as much as it is dangerous," he continued, clasping his hands at his back. The smile was long gone now; instead, a very grave look appeared on his aged face. "I cannot guarantee for the safety of you three but allow your Headmaster to at least assure you that Mister Potter and I are doing our best to aid you, although in a different way from what you will be doing."

He took a step forward and looked from one student to the other. "This evening is a very crucial day for the Wizarding World," he stated. "Especially to the Order. The outcome of your mission will make or break the future of this world, not that I am putting too much pressure on the three of you."

"You just did," the blond darkly muttered under his breath, returning the glare that Hermione had thrown into his direction. Blaise was trying his best not to smile, pretending to wipe off something from his mouth.

"I've lost one student already because of this mission," he continued, growing solemn. Hermione thought of the previous hour when the three of them visited Teddy's grave and looked at her own feet, equally somber herself. "And I wish not to lose anyone of the three of you tonight. Ergo, be careful. Allow me to state it once again: _be careful_. You are treading on dangerous grounds and you do not know what will happen."

Dumbledore briefly checked his magical grandfather clock and sighed. "It is almost time," he declared. "I think it is best for you to return back to your dormitories and ready yourselves."

The three nodded and turned around. Dumbledore himself was about to return back to his seat when Hermione's voice had stopped him from his tracks.

"Professor!" she cried. The aged man whirled around and stared at his best student curiously. Even Draco and Blaise were looking at her with equal confusion.

And then, to the utter surprise of the three, Hermione Granger launched herself into Albus Dumbledore and gave him a hug.

Draco's jaw dropped and Blaise's eyes widened whilst a pleasant chuckle escaped from the Headmaster.

"Oh, Miss Granger," he said, fondly patting her back.

"You've been of great help to me, sir," she said, pulling back to direct her glossy eyes to the gentle, blue orbs of the teacher. "I just want to say thank you now."

"Ah," he said, his eyes now twinkling with delight, "it is my job to help the most distressed of all. You do not have to thank me for doing something that I am to do. But nevertheless, you are most welcome, Miss Granger."

She sheepishly grinned, awkwardly pulling herself away from the old wizard. "We… must go, then," she said. "Goodnight, sir."

He nodded his head and smiled. "Goodnight."

* * *

"I don't see the reason why we have to dress like bloody girls," Draco growled, disguised into a beautiful blonde woman, his hair a darker shade than the original with a length that ended just above his rear end. His mercurial orbs changed into baby blue eyes, now narrowed at Hermione, pink in the cheeks as she stifled her giggles.

"It's part of the plan, Draco," Blaise pointed out, this time disguised into a brunette, hair bundled up and held into a loose bun. His usual onyx eyes were lightened into emerald eyes, eyes that rivaled Harry's, as they glinted in their room, a sickening smile present on his face. He couldn't be blamed for being ecstatic with his new disguise (although, a bit discomforted). Hey, he was still a growing guy with a bunch of testosterones in his system. He had just grown parts he sometimes fantasized to touch… _ahem_, not that he was being too perverted or something.

Merry laughter bubbled out of Hermione's lips, regarding the two with amusement in her eyes. She herself had removed her disguise as a boy, this time donning a white dress underneath a pink cardigan. Her soft curls were left undone, her fringes held by the butterfly hairclip away from her face. She was also sporting her bewitched glasses as an added precautionary measure.

As the three designed their plan for the night, Hermione previously suggested that they were to dress up as females so that they would not be too suspicious for the guards if they were to step into that corridor. Hence, Hermione had removed her disguise while Draco and Blaise drank Polyjuice Potion with the added hairs generously offered by Dumbledore. The disguised blokes were currently wearing feminine clothes (which further annoyed Draco) that would dissolve into their own, normal robes as soon as the effects of the Polyjuice Potion ended. Once they arrived back to her parent's room, they would all grab on to the sole of Hermione's left shoe, which was bewitched by Dumbledore to be a portkey.

"Oh Draco, it's not that bad," she said in between giggles. "In fact, both of you look… _rockin'._"

His jaw dropped in mortification, cheeks coloring with unadulterated embarrassment. "Hermione Granger, take that back!" Draco cried, shuffling his feet. "And goddamnit, can you bewitch these bloody heels to at least be comfortable?"

With a grin, she brandished her wand and muttered a spell. "There you go, _Druella_," she said, putting some emphasis on her given name to him.

He scowled and glared. "Nuisance," he growled, "you're making me sound like I'm some villain in a sodding fairytale." He sneered and rolled his eyes. "Bloody wench."

"What?" she cried, pointing her wand at him. "At least _Blanche _here cooperates without whining."

Blaise flashed him a triumphant grin, which prompted him to glare. "That's because Zabini's _perverted_," he spat. Hermione's cheeks turned into a vivid shade of red. "What do you expect?"

"Oh, gross, Draco," Hermione said, glaring at him

His eyes landed back at her and his scowl deepened. "You still find humor in this mission, huh, Granger? You know what? Your optimism is sickening."

Upon hearing his claim about their mission, all traces of jesting disappeared from Hermione's eyes. "Oh, right," she said, the redness in her cheeks instantly draining. Her eyes then hardened with determination and unconsciously surveyed the room she came to love one last time. "Have you memorized my map?"

"Granger, it's _my _house," Draco snapped sarcastically, although the usual menacing tone was lacking after seeing the look on her face.

"Right," she said, a bit distracted. She allowed her eyes to show fear first as she looked at the two most unlikely person she came to undoubtedly care.

And then, almost instantly, her Gryffindor bravery resurfaced, masking her true emotions. "Let's go."

* * *

There plan was plain and simple, actually. Hermione would go straight to her parents' hidden room and remove all the wards. While Draco and Blaise, disguised as gorgeous females, were to bound away and find as many Death Eaters as possible that they could find in the West Wing and quoting Hermione's words, "make them preoccupied".

"More like _seduce _them," Draco had growled under his breath as the three briskly jogged towards the West Wing. Thankfully, no Death Eaters had been in their away. Apparently, Voldemort had called this urgent meeting and Senior Death Eaters were absolutely needed. Draco, being part of that group, was of course needed. But the blond reassured Hermione that it would somehow take them a while to notice his absence and heighten their suspicions. And besides, this day would be probably the last time he'd be a Death Eater and he'd be damned if he didn't do anything with all of his might to strip him off from this loathsome job forced upon him.

"Stop!" Hermione suddenly hissed, blocking the path of the two disguised blokes. She directed them to press themselves against the wall as she poked her face towards the corner, distinctive snorts and voices of Death Eater guards heard from their place.

She looked back at her best friends, trepidation in her eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous, Hermione," Blaise offered, alerted by the voices. "We'll be fine."

"Be careful," she whispered back, looking from Blaise to Draco. Her gaze lingered longer at the blond before looking away, peering from the shadows as she warily watched the two Death Eaters, which she recognized by merely their faces.

"It's time," she said, all traces of anxiety gone. Instead, determination shone brightly in her toffee-colored eyes.

Blaise and Draco nodded their head then straightened their robes. With mild amusement, she even watched as the blond stretched his arms and Blaise popped his knuckles.

"You lot are not going to fight," she whispered. "You're merely _seducing _men."

The Malfoy heir flashed a haughty smirk. "Ah, Granger," he said back, equally soft, "you never know."

"Who's there?" one the Death Eater barked, alerting the three.

"Go," she furiously whispered, making shooing motions with her hands.

Draco caught her arm. "Be _careful_," he emphasized the last word, and Hermione furiously nodded her head.

With one last glance, the two strode out of the shadows, an air of confidence hanging all over their body, as finally, they put their plan into action.

* * *

Hermione dashed from corridor to corridor, her footsteps muffled by a simple spell.

The brunette pushed the vestiges of fear and anxiety into the deepest and darkest recesses of her mind. There was no time to be all fidgety, she reckoned. She had a feeling that something huge would happen tonight (and she fervently wished what previously happened would not repeat anymore). She had to be alert and vigilant or else, everything would plummet down; their hard work and sleep deprivation, all going to the rubbish bin of hell.

"Constant vigilance," she muttered under breath, quoting her former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody.

She had passed the portraits of the Malfoy ancestry without any cursory glance, not even shooting Draco's immobile portrait a look like what she customarily did.

A gasp escaped from her lips upon seeing a Death Eater patrolling the specific corridor where her parents' room lay and she hid behind a wall, trying to muffle her heaving breath. She peeked, noting immediately that it was Macnair, and cursed her fate under her breath.

Wand at hand, she subtly pointed it at the oblivious man, before muttering a soft 'Stupefy'. She waited with bated breath, straining to hear if her spell had hit the target. She then released a huge gust of breath once hearing a loud thud, Macnair's fallen body, resounding all throughout the vacant corridor.

She emerged out of the wall and strode quickly towards the bookshelf hiding her parents' room.

And with a deep breath, she started to do her task.

* * *

'_If your hand inched lower down my waist, Avery, I swear…' _Draco bristled inside his seething mind, a Death Eater's arm, Avery's, casually wrapped around his waist, directing him incognito all over the West Wing.

He and Blaise introduced themselves as new female recruits once the two Death Eaters caught sight of them. They claimed that they were lost and the two, older men were eager (_too _eager, even) to direct them to their proper destination.

The blond had caught Blaise's eyes (who was blatantly _flirting _with another Death Eater, someone he distinctively remembered as named as 'Gibbon'… how he managed to do that without puking was beyond Draco's understanding) and sighed. The Italian was glaring at him and Draco, not really in the mood to retaliate, flashed the sweetest, _biggest _smile he could muster. Apparently, this did the charm and the next thing he knew, Avery was grabbing his butt.

His face contorted, scandalized and immensely disgusted at the same time, before none-too-gently slapping his arm away. The older Death Eater looked up at him in surprise, but he merely smiled back that same charming smile.

He could not believe such smiles like the one he did could make a man do crazy things. It was downright _idiotic_, if you ask him.

'_Really now?' _the same annoying voice, the one that had been particularly enjoying his immense discomfort, sneered. _'Need I remind you that you do exactly the same thing when the nuisance smiles?' _

Ah, Granger. Draco'd been awfully thinking about her lately. And knowing that he was thinking about her in one of the most dangerous times that could cost him his life was unnerving.

Avery started bragging about his works and achievements bestowed to him by the Dark Lord himself. Draco half-heartedly listened, mind still strayed on the brunette.

'_How is she?' _he asked himself, familiar worry swirling at the pit of his stomach.

He released a barely audible sigh, unknowingly biting his bottom lip. He wished she was well and was executing her plan smoothly. He deftly looked at his watch and pointedly noticed both he and Blaise had three-quarters of an hour left to disguise. After the effects of the Polyjuice Potion wore off, they'd be bounding as fast as they could towards her parents' room and apparating out of this blasted establishment he once called home.

Draco then noticed that Avery had stopped talking, now looking expectantly at him. His brow burrowed and answered the first thing that came into his mind, "Yes."

Apparently, it was the right answer for Avery looked absolutely pleased and resumed talking.

The blond sighed yet again.

"This is gonna be a bloody long night," he said, his voice feminine because of his disguise.

"Excuse me?" Avery asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Draco smiled. "Nothing," he smoothly lied. "Now, if I remember correctly you said you were in the Department of Mysteries and battling with Harry Potter…?"

* * *

Sweat trickled down from her temple as she finally removed the last ward guarding her parents' room, gasping for oxygen.

Draco was right, the wards were quite too strong for her to handle, even expert Aurors might be having a hard time now.

But she finally did it, albeit taking a bloody long time. She quickly looked at her muggle watch, noting that she had twenty minutes left, before bursting inside the door and magicking the bookshelf to once again hide the now unguarded door.

The familiar setting greeted her arrival and she forced down the emotions that threatened to spill. She couldn't _afford _to be all sobby and weepy now. She should have a clear, attentive mind in order for her, her parents', and her friends to safely apparate away from this place.

Hermione flinched, sidestepping the place where Teddy had dropped dead after being hit by the Killing Curse. The memory of that night grew vivid because she was once again in the place of the crime; bottling up her raging emotions seemed harder now.

'_Any minute now,' _she assured herself.

Wand hand raised, she waved her magical stick and muttered a soft '_Finite Incantatem' _just to make sure that no wards were guarding her parents. She muttered a series of spells in Latin and almost jumped in surprise when she heard a hissing sound after saying the tenth spell. Huge black wisps of an unknown substance rose from her parents' unconscious forms before disappearing all at the same time.

She took a deep breath, thankful for her precautions. She detected the black wisps were remnants of an extremely dark curse and she did not want to dwell in what would probable happen to her if she were to touch her parents. Apparently, her not-so-welcome barging in a fortnight ago had wavered Voldemort's confidence. Not that she blamed him, of course.

After ten more minutes of muttering spells she could think of, she finally concluded that they were now unguarded.

A wistful smile flittered on her face as she took exactly three steps, standing at the middle of her parents' bed. She reached for both of their hands with her own and squeezed them. Tight.

She shot a determined look at the sole of her left shoe, promising this time that all would go according to their plan.

And then, she waited.

* * *

Draco thickly swallowed, alarmed. He could feel his pretend long hair shrinking in size, also observing warily that they were reverting back to their normal color. Thankfully, Avery was still rambling on and on about his nonexistent achievements to notice the distinct changes of his companion.

The blond looked at his magical watch, noting that they had barely a minute left, and started to feel a little panicky. It was a very uncharacteristic feeling for a Malfoy but for now, he did not give a bloody damn. Lives were at stake here, especially of one of the most important persons in his life, and he could not allow some silly beliefs stop him from feeling what he truly felt.

His eyes then sought for Blaise and noticed that his previously-emerald-now-turned-black eyes were staring back at him, too. Trepidation flashed in his eyes, oblivious to the fact that the hair tie that was once holding his pretend hair was now lying down on the floor.

"Avery," he quipped in, stepping away from his grasp. "I'm afraid I have to go and visit the captives now."

The bloody bastard had the nerve to pout. "Can't I come with you?" he asked. "Can't _we _come with you? I'm sure Gibbon there would love to go."

A sharp "No!" escaped from Draco's lips and his eyes widened. His voice lost their feminine tone and was slowly reverting back to his usual, deep one.

Avery, surprised, looked at him in unsuppressed astonishment. "Are you quite all right, Druella?" he asked. Draco grimaced with his pretend name.

"Blai – a – _anche_!" Draco cried with a high-pitched voice, hoping it would sound womanly. All it did was hurt his ears. "We have to go. _Now_."

Draco could already feel the shifting and changes in his body, grimacing. He was not always a fan of Polyjuice Potion.

"A pleasure meeting you, Avery," he quickly snapped, Blaise soon jogging his side, pointedly noticing that his high-heeled shoes had changed into one of his branded shoes. "Quick," he muttered in alarm at Blaise on his side.

Just then, he was jerked back, when Avery tightly gripped his arm and held on to it firmly. "What's the rush, sweetheart?" he asked. "We have more pleasant things to do and… AH!"

Draco skillfully pinned his arm behind his back, sneering over his form. The effects of the Polyjuice Potion had completely worn off now.

"What are you… _Malfoy_?" he barked, craning his neck to look over his shoulders. His eyes had gone as wide as saucers, his jaw dropping in sheer astonishment.

"The one and only, _sweetheart_," he spat in disgust, pointing his wand at his neck. "_Stupefy_!"

Avery grew unconscious and landed in an unceremonious heap on the ground.

"That was easy," Draco proclaimed, proudly smirking at Blaise. The Italian grinned back, showing his pearly white teeth. Just then, the smile froze on his face, his eyes widening as he looked over Draco's shoulders.

"What?" the blond asked, turning around. His eyes also widened and cursed himself under his breath. Apparently, both he and Blaise were too preoccupied with Avery they had quite forgotten about Gibbon. The said Death Eater was looking at both of them with wide eyes, wand hand poised mid-air.

And then, to their horror, red, booming sparks escaped from his wand.

"TRAITORS!" he screamed. Both Draco and Blaise flinched with the noise, distinctively hearing arriving, urgent footsteps.

With wide eyes, a rush of adrenaline coursing through his body, the blond looked at Blaise and exclaimed, "RUN!"

And run, they did.

* * *

Hermione jerked awake, bleary eyes opening. She scowled, realizing that she had dozed off because of extreme fatigue, and then looked at her watch. Their time was up; the effects of the Polyjuice Potion on both Draco and Blaise should have worn off now.

The Slytherin-once-Gryffindor stood up, all traces of fatigue gone, and waited for the arrival of her best mates with apprehension.

"Any minute now, Mom, Dad," she said reassuringly, squeezing their hands for added assurance.

Just then, the door banged open. With a cry of surprise, Hermione ducked down, barely missing a flying Killing Curse.

"What the…?" Her voice died down upon seeing both Draco and Blaise quickly scampering inside the room. Her eyes widened, noting that Draco was cradling an extremely broken arm, a black substance oozing out from it. The same black substance dripped out from his mouth. He looked like he would pass out soon.

Blaise, on the other hand, was the less unscathed one. The only visible wound was a huge gash on his left face, red blood leaking out form it.

She let go of her parents' and rushed towards Blaise's side, helping him as they steadied the blond.

"_Crucio!_" somebody hollered. Hermione, caught off guard, was fully hit by the curse and she released a scream. Bent over, she fell on her knees and writhed in pain. Million, _scalding _hot pins and needles pricked the every part of her body. She distinctively heard a spell hurtled by Blaise and soon, the curse had ended.

She was gasping for air, still reeling from the effects of the curse. Hermione immediately stood up and ran a hand through her face, her bewitched spectacles now broken on the floor, and faced the Death Eaters. She raised her wand, her hand terribly shaking, and eyed the dark wizards with wary eyes.

That was when all commotion had halted, all Death Eaters gaping at her with wide eyes.

"HERMIONE GRANGER?" a loud voice bellowed. Hermione gasped, recognizing Lucius Malfoy's silky, authoritative voice. "THIS IS AN **OUTRAGE**! AN OUTRAGE I TELL YOU!"

Hermione snapped out of her stupor and quickly limped towards Blaise. A spell she did not know had hit her squarely at the back of her neck and she stumbled, only to quickly rise up. She had no idea that her butterfly hairclip had completely escaped from her hair, her fringes now hanging loosely around the frame of her face. Blaise, noticing this, bent over and clutched the said hair accessory and hid it in his pocket.

"Where's your _goddamn _shoe, Granger?" Draco hollered amidst the chaos. Hermione glanced at her left leg and moaned. It was missing; no wonder she had been limping. She guessed it was knocked off from her foot when she was hit by the Cruciatus Curse.

"It's gone," she cried, blindly deflecting a black light hurtling towards her form. It had hit the wall above her head, and it started crumbling down.

"GRANGER!" the blond cried, and threw himself on top of her, shielding her from the falling stones.

Hermione screamed in horror, Draco's now unconscious form toppled on the side.

"Draco! Draco!" she exclaimed, tears already running from her eyes.

"Hermione, there's no time!" Blaise exclaimed, waving his wand and putting a temporary magical barrier at the door. The Death Eaters were banging their fists and firing continuous spells, but the barrier would not disappear.

She fell down on all fours, groping for her shoe. Thankfully, Blaise's barrier had momentarily stopped the chaos inside the room. Hermione guessed that the Italian had driven them all out from the room before he put up the magical barrier.

A stray stone fell down from the ceiling and hit her squarely on her head. The impact had made her nauseous, but she willed herself to wake up. If she succumbed to darkness, they could all die.

Finally, she found her missing shoe squashed in between the floor and a huge slab of stone. She pushed the rock away from her shoe, which she gingerly cradled in her hand, careful not to touch the sole.

A resounding 'bang' rang all throughout the room. Hermione covered her head to shield herself from more flying debris. Hastily, she crawled towards the unconscious blond. Her parents were a few meters away from her, already sprawled on the floor, their bed now a sad display of splinters. **[1] **She raised her wand and 'accio-ed' her mother. Blaise, now frantic, did the same to Hermione's father, and immediately scrambled to her side.

"Quick!" she cried, Death Eaters now firing the Killing Curse everywhere. Blaise half-limped, half-jogged to her side and collapsed on the ground. He grabbed Draco's hand and Mr. Granger's hand.

"NOW!" Hermione screamed, and all together, they touched the portkey and were soon gone.

The last thing she heard before disappearing was a terrifying howl emitted from the room.

* * *

They had arrived back, she could tell. Hermione could vaguely feel the humming of magic of the Hogwarts castle.

Cautiously, Hermione opened her eyes, aware of the dull throbbing of her head. Her hand immediately shot up to her scalp and flinched. Blood was slowly pouring from her wound on top of her head, down to her forehead. She released a soft moan and gagged. Her whole body was also still aching from the Cruciatus Curse and it took her a great effort to sit up.

With squinted eyes, she looked around, only for her toffee-colored eyes to widen. Her parents! Her eyes hastily roamed all over the ground below her, wishing that they would soon adjust in the dark. A groan was soon emitted from her left and her eyes shot up, eyes landing on the source of the noise.

Blaise, with all of his black-haired, onyx-eyed glory, sat up and glanced at Hermione's direction. A look of confusion appeared on his eyes, then realization, before morphing into pure worry. "Oh Merlin, Hermione, are you all right?" he asked.

She nodded vigorously, relief coursing through her system. "You're alive, Blaise," she said. And the Italian, unable to help it, cracked a small smile.

That was when she noticed pale hands gleaming in the dark, their skins almost transparent because of extreme paleness. As she looked down, hands led her into arms, then into bodies and a soft sob of relief escaped from her lips. "My parents," she announced, sounding almost breathless. "We did it."

"Yes, yes," Blaise said, standing up and enveloping Hermione into a hug. "Job well done."

She cried, relief and happiness mingling in her soft wails, before halting with a gasp. "Draco!" she exclaimed and stood up. Her sudden action had caused her to sway, her head still reeling from the battle, the Cruciatus Curse, and the abrupt transporting of the portkey.

"Easy there," Blaise said, holding her arms, but she broke free.

"Draco," she murmured, surveying the ground. She spotted him a few feet away from where she was, still unconscious. Hermione scrambled towards him and fell into her knees, her hands covering her mouth as she released guttural sobs.

Draco looked pale, _deathly _pale, and she noted that he was barely breathing. She placed a trembling hand on his chest, just where his heart was, and cried in relief upon feeling a faint heartbeat.

"Oh Merlin," she cried, holding his ice cold cheeks in between her hands, brushing off the dark substance dripping from his mouth.

"I'll call for somebody's help," Blaise offered, face twisted with a myriad of emotions. He trembled in the night, afraid that he would lose another best friend, before dashing back into the castle.

It had taken him merely ten minutes to seek for help. He immediately ran back to the area of their apparition, just a few meters inside the magical barrier, Snape, McGonagall, and the Heads, Parvati and Ernie in tow.

As soon as they arrived, the Transfiguration teacher released a soft gasp, a wrinkled hand covering her lips. "Great Godric," she cried. "What happened here?"

Hermione, hearing the sudden noise, looked up and directed her tearstained face towards the newcomers. She pointedly ignored how Parvati and Ernie's face grew pale with shock, peering at Hermione as if they had seen a ghost (which would be technically true, seeing that they _thought _she was dead).

"Miss Granger!" Snape was the most astonished of all and when she directed her bleary eyes at her Potions Master, his surprise grew tenfold.

And then, for Hermione, everything turned black.

* * *

**[1] **I'm not sure if you can "Accio" a person. XD But for the sake of this story, just think that they can.

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**Review Responses:**

**silverwolf1492: **My mom tells me that I'll go blind, too, if I continue reading fics in front of the computer for the whole day! XD But how can I when there are so many stories that are so damn good in the site? Haha, anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**Sweet. Night. Lock: **Haha, love your check list! And boss chapter, huh? I loved that, too… HECK YEAH =)) And if you are curious as to what brand of tissue I use, then I use Kleenex XD Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Nocturnal Rose: **Your review was short, but I loved it nonetheless. Thank you for your review!

**Someonewholovesthisstory: **YAY, another awesomely long review from you XD Aww, I know right? It's good that they're somehow coping, despite Teddy's death. And THANK YOU! If I were in Hermione's shoes, I think I'd act the same. I mean, imagine if I were to lose the guy I just realized I fancied T_T And I loved Draco's furious moments, too! That is why he's WAY suitable for Hermione, as opposed to that Weasley guy :| Goofy Draco is always so adorable for me. It makes me love him more and more =)) And I think they're taking it slow. Hermione just realized she fancied him; Draco's still struggling to show his love for her, seeing that he was raised up in a house where love is somehow taboo. So yup, I think it would be a little weird if they suddenly start snogging the daylights off of each other, eh? I really needed that good luck. I hope I'll be doing well! Is it wrong for me to be so smug over the English part of the tests, knowing I'd pass it with flying colors? XD Anyway, thanks for your review!

**supbrawh: **Thank you! I try my best to make each chapter very much appealing to my readers, regardless of their simplicity. Aww, and thank you. I'm going to be a college student soon, and I'm not really going to take a course that's related to writing or literature. I guess I'll make writing as a side-line for me, if you get what I mean? XD Anyway, thanks for your review!

**ImaLogInNextTime: **Insane, you say! Wait for the future chapters, then XD Aww, I loved the end part of the previous chapter, too! Anyway, thank you for reviewing. And if you were to log in next time, like what you've promised XD, I hope you'll tell me that it was you who reviewed this so that I can properly thank you!

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**A/N: And done! How was it? MY FRIKIN' GOD, this was the chapter I was most excited to post in FFnet. Did I make it awesome or what? *bites fingernails***

**So, again, I'll be posting the new chapter on Friday, my country time. Also, I must remind all of you that I'll be out for Spain next week and the week after that; hence, no more updates for you guys :( But as soon as I come back, I'll be updating, jetlag be damned :D**

**Anyway, that's it! Again, reviews are very much appreciated. I'm still slightly hoping for a thousand reviews by the end of the story *sheepishly laughs* But, it's still okay if I won't gather a thousand reviews and all. **

**Again, reviews!**

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe**


	39. Resurrected Heroine

**Disclaimer: Two words: Not. Mine.**

* * *

**A/N: So, here's the promised chapter thirty-nine! MY GOD, it's midnight here and I'm officially seventeen-years-old! A year more and I'm a legal adult… then I can be sued XD Haha, anyway. I will keep this short! Again, it's un-Beta-ed, so bear with my grammatical errors.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: Resurrected Heroine**

* * *

Hermione Granger was never a fan of fainting. Whoever thought that it was _romantic_, what with all the catching and all that rubbish by a handsome, to-die-for Prince, must be off her rocker. It was never a pleasant thing for the brunette, having experienced it countless times, since being the best friend of Harry Potter (who was surely hungry for _dangerous _adventures) had its perks (and do mind her sarcasm… _please_).

One thing she hated about fainting was the fact that her brain seemed to instantly shut down, all thoughts coursing through her brain would be halted. She loathed the feeling of restlessness… of _weakness_ as she slumped down on the floor, unconscious.

Oh, and it was not everyday somebody was there to catch her. For Merlin's sake, movies just made it look all the more _romantic _if the swooning girls were caught by their one, true love before they completely hit the floor. But this was reality and in reality, most of the time, boys had slow reflexes (no offense), except if he was a Quidditch player. And so, instead of 'gracefully falling down into the arms of Prince Charming', often, Hermione would just fall on the floor, her head hitting the stone pavement, and completely knocking her off from consciousness.

And lastly, the inevitable waking up. Her head always seemed to have its vengeance every time she woke up. Riotous, metaphorical hippogriffs would stomp their feet all in unison, worsening her already worse headache.

Like now.

Hermione slowly opened her eyes, vaguely aware that she was in the infirmary. The white, cracked ceiling was a dead giveaway. She shifted on her side, emitting a small pained groan, before shielding her eyes. The room was awfully bright than usual and it did not help her pounding headache.

"Hermione?" an airy voice said from above. She released a groan, trying to shake the sleep from her ears.

"Hermione?" the same voice repeated again. "Are you awake?"

She forced her bleary eyes to open and finally focused on Blaise Zabini, sitting worriedly at the side of her bed. She opened her mouth, about to say something, but gulped instead. She was parched; her throat dried up after being unconscious. Thankfully, Blaise seemed to get her need for he had thrust a cool goblet in her hand, water filled up to the brim. She greedily gulped it as if she was a wanderer in a desert who finally found an oasis, before giving the goblet back to the Italian.

"Thanks," she murmured, slowly rubbing the sleep off her right eye.

"You okay?" he asked, flashing his charming smile.

The brunette nodded, trying to sit up from her bed, and was soon aided by Blaise. "I guess," she said. That was when she noticed a bandage covering his tan, left cheek and she frowned. How come Blaise had a wound?

"Good to see you awake now, nuisance," a silky voice from her right announced and she froze, eyes widening.

Memories from last night came rushing to her head like a tsunami and despite her pounding headache, she let it come. Polyjuice Potion… Macnair… her parents… Voldemort… a huge gash on Blaise's cheek… and Draco…

Draco with a broken arm.

Draco with a black substance leaking from his mouth.

Draco unconscious.

Horrified, she whipped around so fast blood rushed to her head and she moaned, clutching her temples as she doubled over.

"Really, Granger, you've been dead to the world for two days. You should know that your body is still not capable of such strenuous activities," Draco drawled and unknowing tears prickled her eyes.

Slowly, she looked up and met the soft mercurial eyes of Draco Malfoy she came to like. His infamous smirk was glued on his face and she shakily smiled back, relieved.

Hermione really thought he had... _died_. The dark liquid gushing out from his arm and mouth looked terribly awful she was afraid he would not be able to make it. And to see his smirky face looking down at her had prompted the gathering tears in her eyes to roll down and drip to her quivering chin.

The smirk on Draco's face instantly disappeared, slight horror replacing his haughty appearance. "Merlin, Hermione, are you crying?" he exclaimed.

Blaise, alarmed by Draco's exclamation, jogged to the other side and peered down on the crying brunette. "What is it?" he asked, sounding almost panicky. "Are you all right? Are you feeling any pain?"

She shook her head, shakily chuckling at her ridiculousness, and haphazardly wiped away her tears; some landed on her forehead. "I-I'm sorry," she said. "I-I'm fine."

Draco snorted, his smirk coming back full-force. "Maybe your fainting had messed up with your brain," he offered, although the usual mocking tone was absent.

Hermione smiled, almost agreeing. She silently surveyed Draco from head to toe. He seemed worse than Blaise, seeing that the Italian merely had scratches and little scars around his body, save from the bandage covering his huge gash at the side of his face. Draco, on the other hand, had a little sling on his left arm… the broken arm. Looking at it was almost painful. She knew that healing broken bones was still difficult; it could take a while but faster than the Muggle means. She also noticed that the bridge of his nose was slightly purple, the angry bruise marring his once flawless skin.

"What… happened?" she asked, almost breathless. Her eyes lingered on his healing arm before looking back into his eyes.

"Oh, some dark curse," he said flippantly. Hermione bristled on her bed and glared. Draco, catching her glare, rolled his eyes. "Granger, really… I'm perfectly fine now. No need to be so fussy when it's you we are supposed to be _fussing _over."

She huffed and crossed her arms. She could not believe this smirking boy beside her! He was about to _die _on that night and he was so casual about it?

Brooding, she then noticed that her left wrist was bandaged. She could not remember breaking this specific bone but then again, the brief battle was very hazy in her memory. All she could remember were the shouts and the blood pumping loudly in her ears, forcing her to run towards the others and apparate them away from harm.

"You have another bandage at the back of your head," Blaise piped in, noticing how she thoughtfully looked at her wrist. "Madam Pomfrey reckons it was a stray stone. And of course, after the Cruciatus…"

She winced and bit her bottom lip. A terrified shiver ran down her spine as the vestiges of the Unforgivable came back into memory. The brunette had never been hit by any Unforgivable and to be the receiving end of the most painful one was not exactly a pleasant thought.

Hermione dismissed it and gingerly felt the back of her long mane. She gently touched her bandaged head and swore, eyes momentarily blinded by sheer pain. She closed her eyes and took a sharp, deep breath.

"You're not supposed to poke your wound, you know," Draco offered, watching in amusement as she released another colorful string of words.

"Shut up," she growled, looking back at him. He merely innocently smirked back.

With a sigh, Hermione tired rubbed her face and looked at Blaise. "What happened? After I fainted?"

He grinned. "I knew you'd ask that," he said. "Well, let me see… that other Patil twin screamed bloody murder. Macmillan peed on his pants. Oh, and Snape fainted with overwhelming surprise."

"Wait. _What?_" Draco exclaimed, looking at Blaise as if he'd grown another head. "Snape… _fainted_?"

"Yeah," Blaise said, smiling as Hermione chuckled in disbelief. "'Twas a funny sight. McGonagall was the only sane one who sent her Patronus to Dumbledore and Pomfrey for help. I swear, back there, the Headmaster almost laughed."

Draco slyly grinned, rubbing his hands as if scheming an evil plan. "I have another secret information to blackmail Uncle Sev if he's being insufferable," he said.

"Oh, honestly, Malfoy," Hermione reprimanded, although she couldn't fight the grin that grew on her face. And then, a sudden memory had hit the brunette like a Bludger. Her eyes widened as she stared back at Blaise, alarm in her features. "My parents!" she cried. "What about them?"

Blaise smiled reassuringly. "Oh, they are fine," he said, giving her a pat on her hand. "They were immediately brought to St. Mungo's. Dumbledore had never looked so relieved before upon seeing your parents, alive yet unconscious. According to the Headmaster, they are recuperating wonderfully. Thankfully, the curse that was cast upon them – err… I can't remember but it's a mouthful - ."

- "_Totus specialis ostendo sum._" –

" – Right… uh, where was I?" Blaise blinked, thoughtful. "Oh, um, the curse that was cast upon them actually has a cure. Apparently, Grindelwald had used exactly the same thing during his reign. And so, Dumbledore said they would soon be fine, although it might take weeks. The latest would be two or three months."

Hermione nodded, smiling brilliantly. "That's good to know," she said. And she meant it. After months and months of worrying over her parents' welfare, knowing that they were finally safe from Voldemort and his minions was a great relief.

"But Granger," Draco piped in. "You have one, _tiny _problem."

She looked at him, confused. "What is it?" she asked.

"Oh, don't fret," Blaise said, throwing a glare towards Draco's direction. "It's something you can handle. Promise."

Draco rolled his eyes and ran his unscathed hand through his hair. "The whole school knows about the deception you made," he finally announced. Hermione's eyes widened, the meaning of his words finally sinking in. "Well, it's not really surprising, actually. Parvati Patil, one-half of the Gossip Duo, had seen you for real and so, knowing her, she had spread the news all over the school."

"Oh no," she said, softly groaning. "I… ugh, Parvati! I actually wanted to reveal Hermes Austen's true identity without the help of any gossip queens."

"A lot of people had been meaning to see with their own eyes that you're alive," Blaise continued. "They'd been flocking outside the infirmary. Some impudent ones even _camped _outside until they were permitted to enter. Thank Merlin for Madam Pomfrey. One evil glare from her and they all scampered away."

Hermione, despite the dread in her heart, chuckled.

"But that's not the end, nuisance," Draco butted in, attracting Hermione's attention. Once her eyes were on him again, he retrieved the latest issue of the Daily Prophet from his back pocket. "Read this."

The brunette, curious, looked at the front page of the famous Wizarding newspaper. Her stomach dropped upon seeing a huge photo of her taken during her sixth year by one Colin Creevey, smiling widely and waving at the camera.

Her eyes strayed to the headline and frowned.

**RESURRECTED HEROINE**

_**Hermione Granger, Brain of the Golden Trio, is back and very much alive **_

_By: Edna Mellark _

"Resurrected Heroine?" she echoed, snorting in a very unbecoming manner. "They're making me sound like I'm some Muggle superhero."

"Read it," Blaise urged, which Hermione promptly did.

_It was common knowledge that our beloved only female of the Golden Trio, _**[1]**_Hermione Jane Granger, died on August 5, 1997 due to the unfortunate fire in her Muggle home started by the Death Eaters. Thus, imagine the huge shock of the whole Wizarding World when it was officially declared by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, that indeed, Hermione Granger is very much alive._

"_I saw her with my own eyes, I swear. I could not believe it! I thought I was seeing a ghost," claimed by Parvati Patil, current Head Girl of the same school and roommate of Miss Granger. "She was bloodied and hysterical before she fainted._

Hermione paused and rolled her eyes. "Trust Parvati Patil to be overly dramatic," she muttered under her breath before resuming her reading.

_Together with her unannounced arrival was Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini, Slytherins on her same year, and Miss Granger's unconscious parents. When asked about this suspicious, yet very astonishing group, Dumbledore merely gave a serene smile. _

_Hermione Granger had disguised herself as Hermes Austen, a Slytherin claiming to had once studied in Durmstrang before transferring to Hogwarts. When inquired by this surprising detail, Headmaster Dumbledore only answered that Miss Granger had her reasons for being incognito…_

_(Cont. p 3)_

"Well, I knew my secret would be announced sooner or later," she said, folding the newspaper into neat squares. "Though, I wished for the latter."

"Wait, there's something more interesting in that edition," Draco said, nodding his head at the Daily Prophet. "Go to page two."

With knitted eyebrows, she slowly opened the newspaper on the supposed page and gasped.

**Death Eater Attempted Attack, Halted!**

_By: Elphaba Green _

_Last Sunday – _

"That was the day after we rescued my parents!" she cried, looking up at them with huge eyes.

"Just read," Draco urged.

With a nod, she resumed.

_Last Sunday, it was reported that Death Eaters, followers of the infamous He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, attempted to attack oblivious Muggles at the heart of Muggle London but failed miserably in the end. _

_Members of the Order of the Phoenix, headed by Albus Dumbledore, also Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, spearheaded the counterattack and imprisoned almost all of the present Death Eaters during that time. No battling had commenced; the dark wizards were immediately brought to Azkaban after a brief trial by the Wizengamot. Thankfully, all Muggles were unscathed. _

_When Headmaster Dumbledore was interviewed about their knowledge of the supposedly surprise attack of the Death Eaters, he stated, and I quote, "I have my most trusted spies." _

Hermione, yet again, looked up, eyes shining in mirth. "The alarm that you installed worked, didn't it?" she asked, glancing at Blaise. The Italian was smiling brightly Draco couldn't help but scowl. "I…" Her grin widened. "... I can't believe our successful mission had saved a million lives."

_Here is a complete list of the imprisoned Death Eaters… _

The brunette skimmed the whole page, recognizing some familiar names, when her eyes stopped on one particular name. She looked up, all mirth gone from her eyes, as she stared back at the pensive mercurial eyes of Draco. "Your… father's name is here," she carefully said, uncertain with Draco's reaction.

He raised an eyebrow. "I know," he said. "I've read that countless times already."

"Draco…"

He sighed and rolled his eyes, running a hand through his hair. "What, you expect me to be weepy or something?" he asked. Upon seeing her frown, he glared. "Granger, I was enraged when he was imprisoned during our fifth year, okay? But now… now is _different_. He cursed my mother. He deserved it."

Still a little skeptical, Hermione's eyes went back to the article and continued to read.

_Mister Dumbledore was asked to state his opinion over the alleged attack. "Tom was enraged," he said, complete with a small smile on his face. "He just lost an extremely valuable weapon that will aid him on his coveted victory." When asked to elaborate, the Headmaster did not wish to disclose any further information. _

After reading, Hermione once again folded the newspaper into neat squares before looking back at the other two. "So, our rescuing mission last Saturday had triggered this?" she asked, gesturing at the Daily Prophet. She shivered, imagining if the alarm Blaise had placed in the abandoned shack did not work.

"Let's just thank Merlin Zabini's alarm properly functioned," Draco said, diminishing any further graphic imaginations in Hermione's mind.

She absentmindedly nodded and wistfully looked at the newspaper. "This is for real, isn't it?" she asked, unconsciously tracing a finger at the headline. "I've finally saved my parents."

Blaise and Draco, unable to think of the right words to say, merely stayed silent.

Hermione then looked up, a smile on her face that conveyed all of the emotions she was currently feeling now. "Thank you," she said, regarding them with such warmth and gratitude. "For helping me."

"Don't be ridiculous, Hermione," Blaise said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "We helped you because we care for you. You do not need to thank us."

"But still," she insisted. "Thank you. Before, saving my parents seemed like a vague dream and now, it's actually real. They're _safe_." Hermione sighed and ran a hand through her tired face. "The idea's still sinking in, though."

She grew silent for a while. The comfortable silence hanged over them and it was Hermione who broke it. Grimacing, she placed a hand on her stomach. "Anyone fancy some breakfast?" she asked. "I'm famished."

"Right," Draco said, standing up from his chair. "We are to 'escort' you to the Great Hall. Apparently, the old cow's worried you'll be stampeded by the buffoons you call friends and so, she called for us."

Blaise gave her some spare clothes. She asked them to turn around so that she could change into her clothes. Instantly, identical, _sickening _smirks appeared on their faces but with Hermione's infamous evil eye, they obliged with begrudging sighs.

"I'm done," she announced. The two nodded and together, the three walked out of the Hospital Wing.

* * *

"Stop fidgeting, nuisance," Draco snarled. "It's annoying."

She glared up at him, although her cheeks were still a sickening shade of white. "A little moral support will suffice, you know," she said, nervously worrying the hem of her sweater.

"You'll do fine," Blaise assured with a sigh, patting her arm for comfort. "Where's all that Gryffindor bravery you have?"

Hermione nervously smiled and started to wring her wrist.

They were on the first floor now, approaching the Great Hall. The oak-wooden doors could already be seen and the brunette's nerves started working overdrive. Thankfully, their trip from the infirmary to the Great Hall had been uninterrupted, seeing that most students were already in the Hall, eating their first meal of the day.

"I'm kind of… scared," she said. As proof, she widened her eyes comically. "_Shitless_."

She stopped wringing her wrist and looked from the blond to the other. "Hold my hand?" she meekly asked, reaching for theirs.

"Oh, for heavens' sake!" Draco growled, but did not comment further when her small hand covered his.

Blaise, with a pleasant smile, gently reached for her other free hand.

They continued their journey. As they neared the door, Hermione's grip with their hands tightened. Not that they were complaining, of course.

Just then, the Great Hall burst open, freezing Hermione right there and then. She distinctively heard the loud chattering in the Hall before it became muffled once again as the door swung close behind the newcomers.

Her breath hitched upon seeing who just came out from the Great Hall: Ron and Ginny.

Apparently, they were having a small row when their words died down from their mouth, both stock-still as they stared at Hermione.

The brunette instantly paled, feeling Draco squeezing her left hand for comfort.

"Ginny…" she started, almost breathless. Tears started to gather at the corner of her eyes once they landed on the other redhead beside the younger Weasley. "Ron…"

"Her-Hermione?" Ginny gasped out, tears now trailing down from her baby blue eyes. "It's really you, isn't it?"

She cracked a watery smile and vigorously nodded, ignoring the dull throbbing of her still painful temples. "Of course, Gin," she said.

A sob escaped from the she-Weasley upon hearing Hermione's endearing nickname for her.

"You… I-I-I… erm… Her-Her…"

Draco smirked at Ron's obvious discomfort. "Speak English, Weasel," he shot back. He instantly shut up when Hermione's watery eyes glared up at him. Heck, the brunette looked obviously distressed and he did not want to further ruin this seemingly 'lovely' reunion among three friends.

"You… You're alive?" Ron asked, breathless. His eyes were strangely glossy as Hermione gave him a smile. "I… I saw you buried a-and…" A tear streamed down from Ron's eye. Both Blaise and Draco looked away simultaneously, obviously feeling odd seeing Weasley cry. They always deemed him as a temperamental git but emotional? _Never _emotional. "H-how… wh-why… _what the fuck_?" He broke into the brightest, widest smile Hermione had ever seen and opened his arms. "Come right here this instant, Hermione Granger, for I want to hug you so tightly now."

Hermione let go of both of the Slytherins' hands and launched herself into Ron's welcoming arms, releasing throaty sobs on his shoulder. "O-oh Ron," she cried. "I missed you so."

Ginny joined their heartfelt embrace while Draco sighed.

"Best leave them alone now, huh?" Blaise asked, awkwardly rubbing the hairs at the back of his neck.

Draco glared at the Weasel, feeling ridiculous for the jealousy that erupted at the pit of his stomach, before finally nodding. "Yeah."

And with that, the two Slytherins walked inside the Great Hall, leaving the reunited Gryffindors alone.

* * *

Exactly three days had passed ever since Hermes Austen revealed his deepest, darkest secret and removed his disguise, declaring that he… _she _was in actuality the one and only Hermione Granger.

The brunette's three days had been exhausting so far. Her Gryffindor Housemates had instantly flocked her side after she reunited with Ron and Ginny, millions of questions escaped from their lips, worsening her headache. For that day, she made it clear that she did not want to answer any questions and thankfully, her Housemates had backed off and allowed her to peacefully eat her breakfast.

To say that the whole castle shook with chaos was a big understatement. Everybody was itching to know the real reason why she disguised herself as Hermes Austen, why both Draco and Blaise were with her on the day she was found outside the Hogwarts ground, and why her parents, unconscious, were there, too. But once again, Hermione did not break her silence and only reacquainted herself with her friends.

"Ron, please pass the extract of the sopophorous beans," Hermione said, daintily wiping the sweat from her forehead, careful not to drop some into their simmering cauldron.

The Gryffindor nodded, passing her desired ingredient, before Hermione gently threw them inside the cauldron.

Despite the somehow exhausting days for Hermione Granger, classes resumed. Currently, they were having Potions. Hermione still had not moved from the Slytherin common room (scorned by Ronald Bilius Weasley), stating that she wanted to spend a few more days in the House she came to love. Surprisingly, the Slytherins accepted her revelation whole-heartedly (except those who were really close-minded). In fact, most thought that what she did was absolutely _wicked_ and like the Gryffindors, they had bombarded her with constant questions.

Her mind snapped back into the present when their potion soon changed into a light shade of lilac. With a satisfied smiled, she leaned back against her chair and sighed. Their Draught of Living Death, the potion that would be having a huge percentage in their end-of-term grades, was almost done. Snape harshly barked that their potions were due today and most of the class grew panicky.

"Ron, be a dear and stir the potion counter-clockwise seven times," she said. Ron nodded and did as he was told.

On her place, she caught sight of Blaise looking at her and she smiled. He gave her with an equally charming smile of his own and returned back to his potion with Seamus Finnigan. The bandage that was plastered on his cheek was now gone. The proof that the wound had once been there was a long scar against his tanned cheek.

Craning her neck, she looked behind her and caught sight of Draco, scowling at Lavender Brown's constant whining. The bruise on his nose was now gone, reverting back to its flawless, milky color. The sling on his arm had been removed already, which had driven him to release a loud 'whoop'. No sling meant he could play Quidditch already.

She fondly smiled, secretly thinking he looked ridiculously adorable, but quickly masked it into a smirk when he looked up and caught her eyes.

He rolled his eyes, glaring at Lavender's direction, but she merely stuck out her tongue at him. Draco huffed at her immature behavior and she grinned.

"Merlin, Hermione, pay attention," Ron said from beside her and she whirled around, looking at the slightly annoyed face of her best friend. "Who are you looking at any… Oh." He frowned and glared at the direction behind Hermione's head. "Bloody Malfoy."

"Now, now, Ronald," she said in a reprimanding tone. "Draco's my friend. You can't insult him anytime you want."

He pouted, stopping his stirring. Their potion then turned into a clear shade of white, satisfying Hermione. It was already done and she grabbed a stoppered vial.

"I still can't believe you managed to live with those bas – _blokes_ for almost ten months, 'Mione," the Weasley said, quickly covering up his momentary slip. "I mean, _Malfoy_, _Zabini_, and – bless his soul - _Nott_?"

"They're not that bad, Ron," she said, frowning. "They're actually nice once you get to know them. Actually, almost the whole Slytherin House is not that _bad_."

Ron snorted. "Yeah, if they think you're in disguise," he said, pointedly staring at her. She looked back at him with an innocent smile on her face as she corked their already filled vial. "You know what? I still haven't forgiven you for hexing me after accidentally putting an extra pound of belladonna in Zabini's potion."

She sighed exasperatedly. "Ron, that was ages ago," she said, walking out of their table towards Snape's desk. Ron followed closely behind. "And besides, who said it was _accidental_? You and I both know you did it on purpose!"

The redhead made a face. "You're siding with them," he accused. Before Hermione could answer, the school bell rang, signaling the end of their class.

"Who's siding with who?" Harry said, sidling up beside Hermione. He casually swung an arm over her shoulders, discreetly shooting a smirk towards a scowling Blaise and a seething Draco.

Ron jutted a thumb towards Hermione. "Her," he said, shouldering his book bag while Hermione carried her own. "She's siding with her Slytherin friends."

"Oh, honestly," she spat, glaring, and shrugging off Harry's arm. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I am to be accompanied by Blaise and Draco now." True to her word, the two Slytherins were waiting for the brunette, glaring at her other best friends.

"Do you really have to spend some time with them?" Ron whined, catching Hermione's arm. "I haven't spent nine months with you!"

"Stop testing me, Ron," she threatened with a Slytherin-like sneer on her face before whipping around and stomping towards her roommates. "And besides I'm moving back _later_."

"And now she's acting like a true Slytherin," the redhead murmured under his breath, ears red because of frustration. "Oi! If you hurt her, I am going to kill you!"

Blaise gave him a really rude gesture, which was surprising for Ron, seeing that he once deemed him as an extremely polite Slytherin, albeit bigoted. Malfoy, on the other hand, scowled at him, before ushering an irate Hermione away from the dungeons.

Harry looked at the scene with amusement written all over his face. Ron looked at him with a frown.

"You're okay with this, Harry?" he asked. "With Hermione spending the rest of her day with them?"

"Oh, give them a break," The-Boy-Who-Lived said, grinning. "They're still bastards but they did take care of Hermione when she was still incognito, you know."

Ron's face darkened. "Right, I forgot that you were having clandestine meetings with her behind my back," he spat.

Harry sighed. "Ron…"

The redhead's face softened and he waved a dismissive hand. "I know, I know," he said. "I'm sorry for blowing up. It's just that…" He looked wistfully towards Hermione's retreating back, smiling cheekily over something Malfoy had said. "I missed her. That's all."

"Didn't we all?" he asked. "It's just good to see that she can freely roam around as Hermione Granger now and her parents sa - " His words died down from his lips as he hissed, hand shooting up to his forehead. With a scowl, he massaged his throbbing scar.

"Merlin, it's hurting again?" Ron asked, eyeing his scar warily. "That's the fifth time today, Harry."

"No shit, Ron" he grumbled. "Voldemort's enraged." This time, he quirked a smile. "Did not see her coming, really. And to know that two of his best Death Eaters were actually spies for the Order. But damn, my head is killing me."

"The war's really looming now, huh?" Ron asked, shivering at the thought.

Harry absentmindedly nodded, growing pensive himself. "Yeah," he answered back.

Ron sighed. "Well, want to go to Dumbledore?" he offered. "Didn't he tell us to go to him once your scar starts hurting again?"

"Well, we might as well," The-Boy-Who-Lived said.

And together, the two strode up to the Headmaster's Office.

* * *

"Is Weasley being a git again?" Draco asked, scowling at a cowering first year.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his absurdity. "He's just being his usual self, Draco," she said. "And besides, he just misses me - ."

- "Right." –

- "It's true!" she cried indignantly, glaring at him. "You should hear him whine about how he was against with my still hanging out with the likes of you and spending some of my free time in the Slytherin common room."

"He's being a prat," Blaise offered.

"Well," she said with a huff, "he can't be blamed for being wary now, can he? Slytherin had a not-so-good reputation in the Gryffindor common room. _No offense_."

"Hence, proving that you Gryffindors are close-minded," Draco piped in, which was promptly scorned by Hermione.

"Um… I think you're quite forgetting one important information," she said. "Your House is the most bigoted, _prejudiced _House in the whole school."

"Which is your current House right now," Blaise said with an innocent smile. "Wait 'til they hear that you're backstabbing your own House."

A chuckle of disbelief escaped from Hermione as she shook her head, her brown tresses flying wildly around her. "Oh guys, you are _impossible_," she said, eyes twinkling in delight. "If you don't stop acting like immature gits, I'm going to leave you both and find Harry and Ron."

"Oh, right, nuisance, I'm scared," Draco snarled sarcastically, crossing his arms like a petulant child. "Like I care."

A gorgeous smile appeared on his face. "Want to see me try?" she asked challengingly.

He glared.

"I didn't think so," she said, sighing in contentment as she swung her arms freely. "Now, how were your potions?"

"Fine," Blaise said while Draco made a noncommittal noise.

Hermione frowned, placing her fists against her hips. "Now, now, you can't be casual over this," she scolded. "It's one-third of your final Potions grade; thus, if you messed up, _big time_, kiss bye-bye to your futures."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Nuisance, we're his favorite students," he stated matter-of-factly. "Snape won't dare fail us."

She scoffed. "You Slytherins are sickening," she spat. "Being advantageous and all."

"Again, what's with the backstabbing?" Blaise quipped.

"Oh honestly," she said, yet again, rolling her eyes.

They finally arrived at the Slytherin common room and passed by some of their Housemates. The brunette cheerfully greeted them, her heart swelling upon seeing that they greeted back. She had previous nightmares about their reactions after discovering her true identity but now seeing them greeting her back, _equally _pleasant, she was just at awe. Who knew Slytherins would be more accepting than what she had thought?

As soon as they stepped in, second year Mina rushed towards the trio, her face scrunched up into a painful expression. "Is it true that you'll be leaving tonight?" she asked, sounding almost tearful.

Hermione, with a forlorn smile, nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Being in Slytherin is only part of my mission. And now that it's accomplished…" She left her sentence hanging, heart breaking into two as soon as Mina started crying.

"You'll visit, won't you?" she asked hopeful.

She looked around, looking at the onlookers. "If they want me to," she said, smiling.

A murmur of agreement ran rampant all over the room and her smile grew. There were a few disgusted 'nos', mainly from one Gaston Gray, but one piercing glare from Draco had shut them up. The blond might now be considered as a blood traitor, a bloody muggle-lover (_'You have no idea.'_) but crossing him was still a very terrifying idea.

"Then I will," she said, fondly patting her head.

"No need to be so weepy now, kiddo," Draco said, frowning. "She's not worth your tears."

"HEY!" Hermione cried, glaring sullenly when he gave her his infamous smirk.

Mina chuckled and wiped her tears. "I'm glad I met you, Hermione Granger," she said. And then, cheeks splattered with red, she smiled shyly. "Can I… can I call you 'Lady Hermione'?"

Draco snorted, quickly covering it into a cough when Hermione elbowed him. She met Blaise's amused eyes and she shook her head, disbelieving. "Of course," she said, heartwarmingly remembering that she used to call Teddy 'Lord Theodore'.

The second year's face literally lit the whole room when she smiled. "Thank you, Lady Hermione," she said, even bowing. As soon as she stood up, looking at the stunned expression of the brunette, she bounded off to Merlin-knows-where, leaving the three alone.

"The girl sure loves her medieval history," Draco commented, leading the two back to their room. "Lady Hermione? Oh, that's rich."

"You're just jealous because somebody devoted her whole life to her, isn't he, Hermione?" Blaise said, a silly grin on his face when Draco glared at him.

"Really, I have no time for your bickering, you two," she said, crossing their threshold and immediately stalking towards her bed. "I have some packing to do."

"Do you really have to go?" Draco asked in annoyance, bordering whiny. "Granger, there's only a month left. What's the difference in spending your last month in Hogwarts as a Slytherin student?"

She pointed at her uniform, now bearing the Gryffindor badge. "I've been a Gryffindor longer than a Slytherin, Draco," she answered back. Worry washed over her features as she knelt down, opening her sock drawer. "And besides, the war's impending. Harry's having constant fits now. You know, his scar hurting and all. I just… I think they need me closer now."

Blaise came down beside her and opened her pajama drawer, cautiously collecting them and placing them in her trunk. Hermione looked up at him and gratefully smiled.

"Why don't you stay here for the night?" the Italian asked wistfully.

"Ron will have a fit," she said, shaking her head. "He has monumental fits when he wants to. And… I promised them that I'll be back tonight."

Draco sighed then waved his wand, all of Hermione's shoes shrinking into his desired size before scooping them up and placing them in her trunk pocket. "Who knew Gryffindors can be selfish, too?" he murmured sullenly, sitting down on top of her bed. He grabbed her teddy bear and played with it, poking its beady eyes.

Hermione smiled. "Oh, you guys, stop moping around," she said. "I'm merely moving dormitories. I'm not migrating to the other side of the world. I can still see you, you know."

"You be good," Blaise said, watching as she started closing her trunk.

"And if Weasley and Potter are being rightful gits, tell me," Draco piped in. "My knuckles are itching to have a reason to punch them."

"Draco…"

He rose up his hand in defense, slightly smiling. "I'm joking, Hermione," he said.

She shook her head and finally latched her trunk. She turned to her bedside table and opened the first drawer, frowning upon seeing that her butterfly hairclip was missing.

'_Funny,' _she thought. _'I can't remember removing it.' _

"Are you missing something?" Blaise asked. The butterfly hairclip in his pocket seemed heavier than before.

Hermione looked up at him, and then spared a glance at Draco. Dread grew at the pit of her stomach and she groaned internally. _'If Draco discovered that I lost his gift, he's going to have my head.' _"None," she smoothly lied, perfect with a little smile.

She hoisted up her trunk and shrunk it until it could fit her pocket. "Well, I'm all set," she said, rounding at the other two. Her smile slightly fell, at loss of what to do. "I guess I should be… going now."

"Of course," Draco said, sounding a tad bitter. "Don't want Weasley to wait."

Hermione smiled. "Right," she said. She awkwardly tucked a stray hair behind her ear and sighed. "Thank you," she said. Upon seeing their eyebrows rise, she elaborated, "For accepting me."

Suddenly feeling awkward, the blond looked away from her and absentmindedly nodded. Blaise, on the other hand, answered a whole-hearted, "You're welcome."

She stood before them for a few more minutes, hands clenching and unclenching, a request at the tip of her tongue but she refused to relent. But then, knowing that she would probably spend a lesser time with them had fueled the stubbornness of her deranged side (yes, breaking news, she has one), and finally took a deep breath.

"Oh, this is preposterous but…" Her cheeks colored while she cleared her throat. "Can I hug you both?"

The two looked fairly surprised, darkening her cheeks. "Yeah, well… I was just kid - ."

"Of course," Blaise said with his usual charming smile, opening his arms. "Come here."

For some twisted reason, her eyes slightly watered, as she launched herself into Blaise's beckoning arms and held him tight. His arms instantly wound themselves around her waist and fondly patted her back, chest vibrating because of his soft chuckles.

"I'll miss you, Blaise," she sputtered out, throat oddly hoarse. "You and your weird nightly rituals and strange fetish for tea."

"You're merely changing dormitories," he reminded her. "You said it yourself."

"Of course," she said, chuckling. Hermione pulled away, a tear sliding down from her eye. Before Blaise could catch himself, he gently rubbed the tear away using the pad of his thumb. The brunette looked surprised with his affectionate gesture but smiled back, nonetheless.

Blaise looked up at Draco, noticing how his nostrils flared, and rolled his eyes. "Heads up," he said, pushing Hermione not-so-gently away from him. The brunette released a shout of surprise and closed her eyes, waiting for the impact of the floor, when a pair of warm, strong arms wrapped around her waist, stopping her fall.

"What the hell did you do that for, Zabini?" the blond snarled, glaring at the Italian.

He gave him a knowing look, which Draco pointedly ignored. He released a tired sigh, his glare darkening.

"Granger and her infamous clumsiness," he said, looking down at the mass of russet hair in his arms. "Funny how I used to hate your guts because of your klutziness."

She looked up at him and his breath hitched, thinking that with all of her watery-eyed, nervous smile, and pink cheeks glory, she was _still _the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his whole life.

"I guess you did not have the heart to stay mad at me, then," she pointed out, her arms wounding themselves around his torso.

He blinked.

Her eyebrows knitted together. "Draco?" she asked, prodding his back.

He flinched and discreetly shook his head, getting rid of rubbishes in his mind, before absentmindedly patting her back. "Yeah."

She peered up at him through her wet eyelashes and he had to restrain himself from roughly grabbing her face and furiously kiss her like there was no tomorrow. "You okay?" she asked, nudging her nose against his collarbone.

A pleasant sensation ran down from his spine – a sensation that spread all throughout his body even to the tips of his hair strands. Draco averted his eyes and discreetly gulped. "Dandy," he monotonously said, scowling as his cheeks heated up.

She looked skeptical for a moment but then dismissed the topic. Hermione slowly pulled away from him, her arms slowly slipping away from his torso. Draco had to grit his teeth just to stop himself from clenching the back material of her school robe, prolonging their embrace.

"I guess I should be going now," she announced, a charming smile on her face. Draco, mesmerized by the expression on her face, overlooked the fact that her cheeks were flared up.

But Blaise didn't.

He noticed.

Thus, he looked away.

Blaise still had no idea what possessed him to push her away when his heart had told him to hold her tight until she was the one who pulled away first. He suspected she would have hugged him for a while, seeing that she was slightly emotionally unstable and even professed that she would miss him.

"Blaise?" Hermione called.

"Yeah," he said, whipping his head around and tried to put a smile on his face.

She smiled back. "I'll see you," she said. "You, too, Draco."

Before he could stop himself, Draco uttered a question he wished he hadn't at all. "Do you want me to walk you up until the Gryffindor portrait?"

Hermione's eyes widened and he was sure he was mirroring her expression.

"Um… thanks but… no," she slowly said.

A quick retort came up in his mind. "Afraid that I'll know where your common room is?" he asked, complete with his haughty smirk.

She rolled his eyes. "Bingo," she muttered, willing her cheeks to go back to their normal color.

"Aw, come on, Granger, I've known where it is located ever since freshmen year," he said, his smirk turning into a full-blown grin.

Hermione still shook her head, slightly smiling. "Harry and Ron are probably waiting outside the common room. And yes, Malfoy, they've known where the Slytherin common room is ever since freshmen year, too."

She surveyed her room for nine months for the last time before giving them a wave for her farewell, walking out of her soon-to-be ex-room.

As soon as she was gone, Blaise looked at Draco appraisingly. "Really, Draco, walk her to her dormitory?" he asked, teasing (yet bordering sarcastic). "How… _gentlemanly_. I used to think you were a cad. No offense."

"Sod off, Blaise," he said, still reeling from the emotions that almost overwhelmed him a while ago. He started for the loo and softly muttered to himself, "I need a cold shower."

Blaise watched him go, a frown slowly growing on his face. He had this feeling that if he wanted Hermione for himself, he had to act now. And fast. _Real fast_.

* * *

**[1] **Hermione Jane Granger: I know, I know. JK already said that Hermione's middle name is "Jean". But I think I've used "Jane" all throughout this story. Therefore, I'll just stick to that, okay?

* * *

**Review Responses:**

**supbrawh: **Haha, actually, I'm quite confused as to what course I'd take in college. But anyway, I still want to think that I don't have to make a decision 'til a new decade has passed XD And yup, I am going to Spain because of the World Youth Day. And when you say, and I quote, "See you there", then, does that mean you're going, too? IF YES, then that would be TOTALLY AWESOME! See you there, then! Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**Someonewholovesthisstory****: **So when I saw your review, I almost shed tears of joy. My god, I'm such a sucker for long reviews. But anyway, on to your response! Haha, glad I made you pleased with my early update. And yeah, the previous chapter was one of my favorites, too. But, although it was epic for me, it was still hard to write. I was struggling, wanting to make the "saving" scene worth reading =)) It was actually my first time writing something like that. And yay for Hermione and Draco's budding relationship! And to think it was all thanks to Pansy Parkinson… *grins goofily* Blance and Druella were actually a spur-of-the-moment and I'm glad I thought of them XD Even I was cracking up while typing that particular scene. Aww, and I had fun writing Draco's inner dialogues. Made me love him all the more. Haha, I was actually hoping that some of my readers would once again think that they're plan would fail, and then surprise them in the end. Glad that you're one of them *blows raspberry* Aww, and yeah, Draco's being all Teddy with Hermione because of that sweet sacrifice he made. As for Hermione's parents adoring Draco… *grins evilly* Haha, it would actually be my first time going to Spain and I'm inexplicably excited. Anyway, thanks for your lovely review! And next time, can you drop a name or something? I would love to call you by your name or penname, you know XD

**happyhippy****: **Yay! A new reader. Or probable a new reviewer, I don't know. But welcome, anyway! And thank you for reviewing!

**Marama****: **Demanding much? XD Haha, dear reader, don't worry; I shall update on Friday! You'll know more, I swear. Patience is a virtue *wink* *wink* Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**maya****: **Thank you for the assurance *sniff* *sniff* One of my goals in FFnet is to really get a thousand reviews for at least one story of mine. Aww, thank you. Since you've cried when Teddy died, then I guess his death and how I described it was effective. Haha, I KNOW! Sometimes it's so frustrating to always log-in just so you could review a story. But thank you for dropping a name! Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

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**A/N: And, done! How did you like it? I personally liked the end part *blush***

**Anyway, once again, I must tell everybody that I will not be able to update for two weeks because I'll be in awesome SPAIN! XD I'll be going on Monday and will be back on the 24****th**** of August so yeah :D **

**I think I'll keep this short. I'm panicking inside since I have numerous tests tomorrow and a college entrance exam coming up on Saturday and I MUST STUDY HARDER XD **

**So, review please!**

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe**

**P.S. Have you gotten in to Pottermore? OMG, I was able to register and now I am only waiting for my Welcome Mail! SO EXCITED! Love, WAM :D**


	40. Of Fulfilled Prophecies and Broken Heart

***Note that the chapter title is supposed to be "Hearts", not "Heart". Effing word limit XD**

**Disclaimer: Still not mine :D **

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**A/N: HOLA, MI AMIGOS AND AMIGAS!**

**OH MY GEE, I'M BACK! Spain was **_**inexplicably **_**awesome, despite the extremely hot weather and all. Just so you know, I've attended the World Youth Day 2011 since I'm part of the delegation of my school. The activities were tiring but I had a blast nonetheless. I met so many Catholics from all over the world and I was dumbstruck. I would like to think that I'm hola-ing one of my readers XD **

**Anyway, here's Chapter Forty of Only a Pretense. My god, I missed this story and your reviews. Just a quick hint on what this chapter will contain – Blaise, Blaise, and pure Blaise. It's up to your imagination on what his importance is in this chapter.**

**So, without further ado, I present chapter forty! Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Forty: Of Fulfilled Prophecies and Broken Hearts**

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May drew to an end and June started, the fresh summer air lingering all throughout the whole school, exciting the whole student body for the impending vacation. June also meant OWLs for the fifth year and NEWTs for the seventh year; thus, no fifth year and seventh year were seen without books tucked underneath their armpits.

The first week of June was seemingly normal. Meal times were, as usual, boisterous and bordering rowdy. Free periods were coveted; end of classes, most especially. Potions was still loathed by most of the students (except the Slytherins, of course). Transfiguration and Charms seemed harder than before. Astronomy had been grueling, especially now that a rare comet was about to come and Professor Sinistra, exuberant for the coming, once in a blue moon occurrence, had lightly warned the students that if they were able to accurately calculate the speed, bonus points would be awarded to their tests. Care for Magical Creatures had been surprisingly fun, seeing that they were using creatures that were actually tame, yet fascinating. History of Magic, as usual, had bored the students into tears. Defense Against the Dark Arts, which was a free period that year due to having no teacher who could take the position, had been of course, the most favorite of all.

But such regularity without disruption was always suspicious in Hogwarts. Especially for Harry Potter, who had now frequented the Hospital Wing. His scar had been searing these past few days; he'd fainted countless times already and worried, Dumbledore had suspected that Voldemort's attack, together with his followers, was fast approaching.

Apparently, the Headmaster was accurately correct. Once Saturday came of the first week, all hell broke loose.

Morning that day had been absolutely pleasant. In fact, the weather had never been fair for the occupants of the school. Once night drew close, the air around the castle grew freezing cold, an abnormality since summer was fast approaching. The castle, armed by its ancient magic, hummed in alarm, seemingly warning the occupants of the impending war.

Ronald Weasley had stumbled upon the surprise attack of the Death Eaters by chance. Feeling particularly mischievous that night, he was planning on having a trip to Hogsmeade to buy bundles of sweets from Honeydukes. He crept out of the room, Harry's Marauder's Map stashed away in his back pocket, and bounded off to the third floor of the castle where the statue of the hunched-back witch was located. Tapping it thrice with his wand would gain him a secret passageway towards Honeydukes.

As he arrived at the third floor, he reached out for the map and surveyed whether there were patrollers approaching. For some strange reason (maybe it was the fates' doing), his eyes strayed to the Forbidden Forest and noticed with mild curiosity the hundreds (probably millions) of dotted figures walking swiftly out of the clearing. His heart dropped, his blood ran cold, upon seeing one particular dot that had urged him to sprint back to the Gryffindor Tower as fast as he could.

"He's here!" he hollered once opening the boys' dormitory. "They're here."

His roommates blearily opened their eyes. Harry, detecting the alarm in Ron's voice, sprang out of his bed and immediately appointed duties to his roommates.

"Ron, go alert Dumbledore," he frantically said, wearing his spectacles and clutching his wand tightly. "Seamus, go up the girls' dormitory. Dean, run off to McGonagall. Neville… for Merlin's sake, stop quivering! Go get Snape and tell him that Hogwarts is under attack. Go, for the love of Godric. GO!"

And thus, the much-awaited, most dreaded Second War began.

Dumbledore had called for the Order of the Phoenix and the members soon arrived, aiding the fighting professors. Students who were too young or too frightened to fight were ushered safely out from the castle by the prefects and the Heads. Those who stayed valiantly fought, determination overpowering their fears.

Hermione, who was constantly beside Ron and Ginny, silently whispered a prayer to the heavens, wishing for the safety of her very best friend. Despite the dread and desolation fighting their way out of her system, she continued to fight.

She would constantly catch sight of her once Housemates, pride swelling in her heart as they fought for the Light Side. Apparently, some Slytherins had followed the footsteps of their Slytherin Prince and his best friend, defying the orders of their parents, and fought for what they truly believed in.

She would catch glimpse of either Blaise or Draco, fighting side-by-side as they finished off one Death Eater to another, their familiarity be damned. Hermione had momentarily stopped fighting, watching with bated breath as Draco faced off with Lucius Malfoy, wildness in his face.

Lucius Malfoy, together with a huge band of Death Eaters, broke free from Azkaban a week after their imprisonment. It had caused a huge uproar in the Wizarding World and they knew… they knew that the Second War was coming.

"You cursed my mother," she heard Draco say and her heart broke into two upon hearing the pain in his voice.

Lucius, void of any emotions, merely looked at his son blankly. "Some sacrifices should be made in order to gain ultimate power," he proclaimed with aloofness. "And besides, Narcissa was always weak." He tsked and pointed his wand at his son's face. "And you unfortunately inherited it. You are not my son."

"And you, not my father!" Draco snarled. Bright flashes escaped from the tip of their wands. Hermione, hurt by the blinding light, shielded her eyes. When her eyes finally adjusted, she was able to see Lucius' slumped form on the ground, unconscious and unmoving, with Draco standing above him, relief flooding in his features.

Hermione had shed tears of happiness for the boy she fancied that day.

Draco Malfoy was finally free.

The battle had resumed, continuing until dawn broke, the sun peeking out from the horizon. It brought so much promise and Hermione wished its promise was for her side. Dead bodies were already scattering the ruined castle, faces she recognized, some she did not. Some from the Light Side, others from the Dark Side. There were people particularly close to her heart: dear Luna Lovegood, sweet Hannah Abbot, good-natured Millicent Bulstrode, and lovely Lavender Brown. There were many more that brought tears in Hermione's eyes but she stood her ground, her resolve to win growing for those who had fought and lost their lives for the common good.

At last, the most awaited face-off had arrived. All battles had ended, cursing and hexes had ceased, when Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort stood across from each other, wands poised above, ready to finally unravel the mysterious pieces of the prophecy.

Two uttered spells, one overconfident and the other determined, rang loudly all throughout the Hogwarts grounds. One was able to deflect it, guarded by the ancient magic by his late mother. The other, now fully mortal for his Horcruxes were destroyed by Dumbledore and The-Boy-Who-Lived, fell down on the ground.

Dead.

The cries of victory from the Light Side were heard as Harry Potter fell down on his knees, tears of relief rushing down from his emerald eyes. A whispered 'thank you' and 'I love you' were murmured from the grateful victor and he swore that he had heard responses to his declarations.

Another kind of cries, one of unadulterated anguish, was emitted from the surviving followers of the now deceased Dark Lord. Others who were sane and less injured enough, apparated away from Hogwarts to hide themselves forever; others, those who were too devoted to their lord, had killed themselves in order to join Voldemort. And some had stayed behind, too exhausted to fight back and allowed the Aurors to bring them to Azkaban.

All of the remaining Death Eaters were brought to trial, although most had voiced out that they should go straight away to Azkaban. But with the insistence of Dumbledore, the Wizengamot finally relented.

To the surprise of all, Hermione Granger had been part of the trial not merely as a witness but also as the one undergoing the trial.

"It's part of my mission, Minister," she solemnly announced, her left arm exposed for everyone to see, her Dark Mark lighter in its shade because of the death of Voldemort. Dumbledore had backed her up, elaborating what she had disclosed, and in the end announced that she was innocent.

Others, most especially Snape, Draco, and Blaise, who had presented themselves as spies for the Order, had longer trials. Most of the Wizengamot had scorned their pleas but backed up by three of the most influential persons in the whole Wizarding World, Albus Dumbledore, Hermione Granger, and surprisingly, _the _Harry Potter, had finally made the Wizengamot decide that they were to be granted with full pardon.

Others who were true, blue Death Eaters were immediately sent to Azkaban. Those who were part of Voldemort's inner circles immediately received the Dementor's Kiss as soon as they were proven guilty.

The Second War had left great damages in the Wizarding World, most especially in Hogwarts. Most were actually afraid that the school would be closed down, but with Dumbledore as the Headmaster, armed with his unwavering faith to the school, the staff, and the students, had restored the castle back as much as possible.

The Wizarding World was finally at peace.

All was well.

* * *

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Hermione, stop studying for a while," Ginny Weasley exclaimed in exasperation, balled fists placed firmly against her hips. She looked eerily like Mrs. Weasley, which brought a pleasant smile on Hermione's face.

Sighing, she closed her Charms book, and looked up at the redhead. "Honestly, Ginny, NEWTs are the day after tomorrow!" she cried, almost hysterical. "I cannot afford to take a break now."

The she-Weasley plopped down in front of the brunette, who was sitting on the ground in front of the Black Lake, and gave her a pointed look. "Most of the seventh years now are having fun outside," she said, gesturing around her. Hermione could distinctively hear merry laughter and jovial shouts. "'Mione, you're overworking yourself."

"Fine," she grumbled petulantly. A huge smile appeared on the sixth year's face. "What are we to do today, then?"

Hermione stowed away her books inside her book bag before shouldering it and standing up. Ginny followed suit, looping one of her arms around Hermione's, and happily looked up at the brunette.

"Tell me some of your wicked adventures as a Slytherin," she pleaded, complete with her sweet smile that had broken the hearts of many blokes (seeing that it was mostly directed to Harry Potter) and batting, long eyelashes.

The brunette rolled her eyes and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "I've recounted them to you countless times already, Gin," she said. "Why do you insist in making me repeat them?"

"Because it makes you happy," she stated matter-of-factly.

Hermione smiled, not having any witty comeback since what she said was actually true.

"I'm not really in the mood to gush out my 'wicked' adventures as a Slytherin," she said, releasing a rather wide yawn. "Do you mind if I jog back to the castle and take a quick nap?"

Ginny's grip on her arm tightened. "Yes, I do mind," she pouted. "I didn't ask you to stop studying just to take some rest. We have some reacquainting to do."

"Selfish much?" the brunette asked with a large grin, fondly patting Ginny's arm. "We've done a lot of reacquainting for the past few weeks already, Ginny. What's more to reacquaint?"

The redhead's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "If I didn't know you better," she said accusingly, wagging a finger at her face, "I'd say that you're making stupid excuse just so you can avoid me and gallivant with Malfoy and Zabini."

Hermione scowled and bumped her hip against Ginny's. "Be serious," she said. "And quit using that tone towards my best friends, Gin. They do try their best not to insult you lot in front of me, you know."

Ginny scrutinized Hermione and finally nodded her head. "Fine," she sighed. "I'm sorry."

The brunette laughed at the younger girl's expression. "Oh, come on, Ginny, they're not that bad!" she cried, defending her Slytherin friends. "They're actually pleasant to talk to." Her face grew forlorn, eyes gazing off into the distance. "Come to think of it, I haven't spent some time with them."

It was true. Due to the end of the Second War, Slytherins became the busiest of all, seeing that most were part of families fighting for the Dark Side.

Blaise was one of them, being part of the long line of the Zabini family with his late great-great-great-great grandfather, Gustav Zabini, being the very first of the family to devote his whole life to Voldemort's false promises of power and fame. He had to work to rebuild the ruined reputation of his family, now assuming the position as the Head of the House, seeing that he was finally off age. Thankfully, his mother was spared, although she had been a closet follower of Voldemort. For one, she had no Dark Mark on her arm to prove that she was a Death Eater. Another was that she was overlooked, seeing that his son was proclaimed as somehow a hero of the Wizarding World, since he was a spy for the Order of the Phoenix.

And Draco… Merlin, he seemed like the busiest of them all. For the last one and a half week, she had merely glimpsed at him during most of their meal times. Due to some reports from the Daily Prophet, Draco Malfoy had assumed the position as the Head of House, same as what Blaise did. But that wasn't the end of it.

Being head of the powerful Malfoy family meant being head of a few different things. One of them was the Malfoy Enterprises, which was the top investor of most of the shops and inventions in the Wizarding World, both locally and internationally. Draco had been quite busy studying everything, forcing to plan some changes and the likes, despite the fact that he still hadn't graduated from Hogwarts.

Hermione had grown worried over him. Immensely. She was afraid that he'd go insane over such a humongous thing. And thus, to distract herself from such gnawing worry, she busied herself by studying for the NEWTs.

On a lighter note, she received news that Narcissa Malfoy had now been released from St. Mungo's and was currently staying at the Malfoy Manor. Hermione even received a pleasant surprise visit from Narcissa when the Malfoy matriarch had popped in to check on her son.

"_It's lovely to finally meet you as Hermione Granger, dear,"_ she had greeted her, warmly shaking her hand. But then, the lovely, elderly woman had pulled her into an embrace, catching her completely off-guard. _"Thank you for taking care of my son,"_ she had uttered, which prompted Hermione's cheeks to turn into a vivid shade of red.

Another good news was that her parents would be discharged from St. Mungo's a week from now. They were recuperating wonderfully, their bodies responding to the potions and spells given by the Healers. She had visited them once and to say that it was a happy visit was the biggest understatement of the year. Tears, long embraces, and murmurs of affections were exchanged in Room eighty-seven in St. Mungo's that day.

"_We'll be in your graduation day, my love,"_ her mother had murmured when Hermione bid both of her parents a kiss on their forehead as her goodbye.

"Earth to Hermione," Ginny suddenly said, vigorously snapping her fingers in front of her eyes.

Hermione blinked, shaking off her musings, and gently swatted her hand away. "I'm back from the clouds," she said, slightly annoyed. "Cut it out."

Ginny gave her an accusatory look. "You're thinking about them again, aren't you?" she said.

Confusion formed on her face. "About who?"

A gasp of exasperation escaped from Ginny's lips. "You-Know-Who," she snarled sarcastically. "No, you silly woman, Zabini and Malfoy!"

A sheepish smile appeared on her face and she shrugged. "Well, can't blame me now, can you?" she responded back cattily. "I haven't seen them for quite a while, Gin."

The redhead had halted in her steps, stopping Hermione in the process. The sixth year Gryffindor then stood in front of Hermione, hands firmly clasped on her shoulders, and intently looked into her eyes. "Promise me that you'll be honest, 'Mione."

The older Gryffindor blinked, astonished. "What are you on about?" she asked.

"Just swear you'll be honest," Ginny exclaimed, eyes narrowing menacingly.

Hermione sighed, knowing that her threatening look should not be merely brushed off as empty. After all, Ginny produces a wicked Bat-Boogey Hex. Thank Merlin she hadn't been the receiving end of such powerful hex from her… _yet_. "Fine," she said.

"Say you'll promise."

"I promise. Sweet Salazar, are you happy now?"

A large grin then broke into Ginny's lips, a fan-girlish look appearing on her face. Hermione internally groaned. She did not like the look on her face. "Are you or are you not dating Blaise Zabini?" she asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Of course not, Ginny," she smoothly replied. "He's merely a friend. Blaise is sweet and all but really, he's just a friend."

"Then…" Her baby blue eyes slightly narrowed. "Are you or are you not dating Draco Malfoy?"

To Hermione's immense mortification, her cheeks darkly blushed. Her eyes slightly widened from Ginny's accusations. The brunette immediately looked away, trying to hide her flushed appeared from the redhead, but it was too late.

"Aha!" she cried, pointing a finger at Hermione. "You're dating Malfoy?"

"NO!" Hermione bellowed, not meaning to deny it out so loud.

Ginny quirked an eyebrow, skeptical.

The older witch glared despite her heated cheeks. "Oh, please, Ginny," she spat. "Malfoy's a bloody prat. Merlin, he's insufferable _most of the time_, even rivaling Ron's _pratness_. I can't stand his… his annoying, haughty demeanor for a whole day, you know. It's a wonder how I was able to stand his presence for almost ten months now." A faraway look appeared on Hermione's face, fondly remembering the blond, before catching her train of thought and shook her head, horrified.

"Flushed cheeks? Check. Annoying blubbering? Check. Blatant denial? Check." Ginny fondly poked Hermione's burning up cheeks, chuckling when the brunette growled. "Making up nonexistent words? Check. And imaging him naked? Check. Check! And double check!"

Hermione's jaw dropped, eyes bulging as she stared disbelievingly at Ginny. "I do not imagine Draco Malfoy naked!" she cried indignantly, her cheeks furiously darkening.

"Easy there, love," Ginny said, slyly grinning. "Blush more and Professor Sprout might have mistaken you as one of her wandering tomatoes. Nasty stuff, those things. I've squashed one before and - ."

"Ginny, be serious," the brunette spat, still horrified.

A soft squeal escaped from the younger redhead's lips and to Hermione's surprise, threw her arms around Hermione. "Oh, congratulations, Hermione!" she cried. "You've finally found a fish for your nonexistent love life. And the yummiest fish of all, mind you."

"Ginny!"

"What?" Ginny pulled away, looking at her in confusion. "You just practically confessed you're dating Malfoy."

"I am not dating Draco!" she furiously hollered. "I am not dating _anybody_!"

Confusion etched on the she-Weasley's face. "No?" she asked.

Hermione vigorously shook her head, her wild hair flying around, some strands flipping against Ginny's face.

"Okay, okay, I get you," Ginny said, stopping the brunette's erratic movements. "Merlin, Hermione, all you have to do is say it."

"I've been trying to, remember?" she asked, glowering.

Ginny pointedly ignored her hostile looks and merely smiled. "Well, then, if you are not dating Draco Malfoy…" She blinked, looking thoughtful for a while, before flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Then, you fancy him!" She pointed an accusatory finger at Hermione's form.

Hermione was about to retort a denial, cheeks darkening once again, before releasing a soft moan and muttering a soft, "Yeah."

"Oh, don't deny it, 'Mione! It's bloody… WAIT!" Ginny's eyes almost bulged out of her sockets. "_WHAT?" _

Hermione scowled. "You've perfectly heard me, Gin," she spat, releasing an exhausted sigh.

"You're not denying it?" the redhead asked, looking at Hermione as if she'd grown another head.

The seventh year glared. "Would you believe me then?"

Ginny sheepishly grinned.

"I thought so."

Another squeal escaped from Ginny's lips as she held Hermione's hands. "So you do fancy him," she gushed out, grinning like a silly schoolgirl.

Her scowl darkened.

"Oh, cheer up, 'Mione," she said. "There's no need to be all scowls about it."

"Ginny, he's _Malfoy_," she pointed out, gritting her teeth. "It's something to be all scowls about."

"And?" she prompted.

"And what?"

"And you should care about that because…?"

"GINNY!"

The youngest Weasley rolled her eyes and intently looked into Hermione's brown eyes. "He's different from the one we used to know, right?" she asked. "I mean, goodness, you're supposed to know that, seeing that you've spent your whole seventh year living with him."

With a frown, she nodded.

"Well, you're still here, aren't you?" Ginny continued. "And you're not cursing Draco Malfoy like you've contracted a verbal diarrhea. Judging from your stories and the articles in the Daily Prophet, he's a good bloke, albeit a bit… caddish."

"Damn straight."

"Hermione…"

The brunette sighed and ran a hand through her brown tresses. "What? What do you expect me to say?" she cried, deeply frowning. "He's Malfoy, for goodness' sake! Doesn't that alarm you?"

Ginny shook her head honestly. "I don't see the reason for your fretting," she pointed out. "Seeing that you're considering him as your best friend already _and _you've been awfully thinking about him lately."

The older Gryffindor glowered, petulantly crossing her arms. "But he's still a prat."

"I think we've established that already."

"And he makes my blood boil."

"I know."

"Sometimes, I just want to rip off his immaculate blond hair just to make him scream like a little girl."

She emitted a chuckle. "I had some urges to do that, too."

"And shout at his ear until he becomes permanently deaf."

"Uh huh."

"And… and…" Hermione's face crumpled. "I like him so much it's getting harder and harder not to grab his face and snog him senselessly until Pluto's declared as a planet once again."

Ginny was largely grinning now, pleased with the brunette's confession. "That'll be too much snogging, 'Mione," she taunted. "I mean, he's still human, you know. Give him some break for fresh air."

The brunette covered her face behind her hands. "Ginny," she growled, cheeks furiously flaring up already. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

The youngest Weasley blinked innocently. "Did what?" she asked.

A shout of frustration escaped out from the brunette's lips, attracting the attention of some passersby. She pointedly ignored them and poked Ginny's collarbone.

"Blimey, Hermione!" she cried, massaging her aching bone.

"Oh, damn it all, I'm losing my bloody mind," she grumbled, glaring into nothing. "Stupid Malfoy… sole purpose is to ruin my whole life." She paused and took a deep breath. "I'm going back to the dormitory to take a nap. Tell Ron and Harry I can't make it later on their Quidditch practice. I have a meeting with Blaise."

She started to stride away from the redhead, Ginny was ready to follow her, but then, Hermione whipped around and glared daggers into her direction. "Don't follow me," she hissed.

Ginny paused, raising her arms in defense. She thought that Hermione looked eerily Slytherin-like right now, which was extremely comical for the redhead. "Okay, okay," she assured the madwoman standing a few meters away from her. "Merlin, woman, no need to get your knickers in a twist."

With one last glare, Hermione turned around and stomped back to the castle, constantly muttering dark nothings under his breath concerning one Draco Malfoy and a very pointy butter knife she had seen in the Gryffindor common room.

The redhead shook her head in disbelief and laughed. She took note to confiscate anything sharp Hermione possessed, afraid that she would do something she would regret. But an image of a bloodied Draco Malfoy, screaming bloody murder, did not seem like a bad thing…

Shaking her head, Ginny then walked aimlessly around the castle and grounds, contemplating Hermione's absurd reaction towards her accusation (though, she honestly thought it was very endearing to see Hermione all worked up because of her feelings).

Ginny had caught sight of Malfoy one time. "Hey, Malfoy," she good-naturedly greeted, startling the said blond in the process.

Draco had looked at her, noticing her outwardly odd behavior, before cautiously nodding his head. "Weaslette," he greeted. The she-Weasley had flashed him an 'I-know-something-you-do-not-know' smile, which made him more confused. Before he could inquire her, she walked away from him, literally skipping happily in the corridors while humming under her breath.

The blond grimaced at her retreating back. "Bloody she-Weasel," he murmured under his breath before turning around, meaning to find Blaise.

* * *

It was nearing dinner when Hermione walked out of the castle grounds, planning to go straight to the Forbidden Forest. She had arranged to meet Blaise in her fake grave and Teddy's grave, just to talk and all. The Italian, delighted with her request, agreed almost immediately.

The brunette had also planned to invite Draco but Blaise had said that he had to return home just before dinner to sign important documents regarding the transferring of all the Malfoy fortune to his name. Hermione was not entirely thrilled by this news (good lord, she wanted to see _him _more than Blaise, which was sad, really, since Blaise had always been the most pleasant of the two) but brushed it off, knowing that it was best for Draco.

With a sigh, she entered the clearing of the forest, running a hand through her brown tresses. She quirked a smile as she looked at her clothing. It was truly a breath of fresh air for her to return to dressing up with skirts and blouses and anything feminine. Today, she was wearing Muggle jeans and a burgundy-turtleneck as her top.

Her right hand once again placed itself on the crown of her hair, meaning to absentmindedly touch the butterfly hairclip Draco had given her, but then paused once she did not feel it. She softly groaned under her breath, letting her arm fall limply back to her side.

Draco was going to kill her if he discovered she had carelessly lost her hairclip. Judging from the gemstones studded on it, it was _expensive_. A frown grew on her face, thinking of possible people who had probably stolen it from her. But then, she brushed off that idea. She was so sure she was still wearing it on the day they rescued her parents. Her heart dropped to the stomach upon realizing that she had probably left it in the Malfoy Manor, broken and trampled upon.

'_Good job, you bloody nuisance. Good job,' _a voice from her head, eerily sounding so much like Draco, taunted.

"Shut up," she said, hugging her body as the two tombstones came into view. Blaise was standing pensively beside Teddy's grave, a faraway look glued on his face. Hermione found herself slowing down her steps, carefully observing the Italian.

She always deemed Blaise as a handsome, young man. His looks could rival Draco's just because he had features that were somehow foreign to the eyes. With his tanned skin, strong jaw line, and a slightly pointy nose, he was the epitome of all Prince Charmings in fairytales.

A sigh escaped from her lips and she shook her head. Why didn't she like him instead of the twitchy ferret? Blaise… he was a very good companion. Merlin, he even offered to look after her after she was attacked by those grotesque hags. He had a smile that could melt even the iciest heart in the whole world. His patience was never-ending, seeing that he was the best friend of an immature bloke and a stubborn prat.

And he was polite. _Very _polite.

And Draco, well, pigs should fly first before he became Prince Charming-like. But how come she liked _him _and not Blaise Zabini? Life would have been better if her heart had chosen the Italian instead of the albino ferret.

But then again, her life had been complicated ever since she chose to befriend Harry Potter. Stranger things had happened to her than falling in love with a complete git.

Her frown deepened, resuming her walk. Have she fallen in love with Draco Malfoy already? The idea seemed too absurd now. Sure, she had been his roommate for almost ten months and she came to greatly care for him. She _loved _him as a best friend and that was okay. She loved Harry, Ron, Ginny, Blaise, and Teddy, too. But love him as in love_ love_ him?

She did not know. With a frustrated sigh, she made her presence known to Blaise. Malfoy be damned for now, even if she did have urges to grab his face and snog him senselessly. She would find some time to truly contemplate her real feelings for him.

"Hey Blaise," she greeted, forcing herself to smile. Remnants of her musings were still swirling in her mind and she desperately tried to push them away, not wanting to ruin this meeting with the Italian.

Blaise flashed his most charming smile and Hermione sighed again. Why didn't she fall in love with him again? "Hi," he said, ushering her to his side. The brunette obliged and was now standing beside him, looking thoughtfully on Teddy's grave.

"It's been a while now since I last talked to you, you know," the Slytherin commented, pocketing his hands. His right hand brushed against the butterfly hairclip in his pocket and he winced, withdrawing his hand almost immediately.

"Yeah," Hermione commented, smiling up at him. "Blame NEWTs."

"And my obligations as a Zabini," he added, sighing. With a slightly tilted head, he contemplatively scrutinized the brunette beside him. "How are you?"

She blinked, slightly surprised with his question. "I'm honestly fine, Blaise," she said. "Though, stressed-out due to some all-nighters."

He shook his head disapprovingly. "You're over-working yourself," he tutted, frowning at her.

Hermione laughed and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "I'm Hermione Granger, what do you expect?" she stated matter-of-factly. Blaise chuckled for his answer. "And you know what? Ginny had told me exactly the same thing a few days ago."

"Ah, the she-Weasley," Blaise said. Something flashed in the young man's eyes, which she did not understand. "She has been suspicious today."

"Suspicious? How so?"

"Well… for one, she's somehow lurking around Draco and me," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Oh, and she had been incessantly bugging the magic out of Draco."

Hermione blushed and internally cursed the redhead. "Oh," she said, followed by a nervous cough, "I'll tell her to mind her own business."

He cracked a smile at this. "You Gryffindors tend to poke your noses into the businesses of others," he retorted.

She glared up at him, which made him chuckle once again. Her frown morphed into a small smile and her eyes landed on her fake grave. "I guess my grave isn't needed anymore," she mused aloud. "Now that Hermione Granger is alive and all."

Blaise hummed for his reply and did not catch it when Hermione's eyes widened, her jaw almost dropping.

There, on top of her tombstone, was a tulip.

Her heart hammered wildly inside her ribcage and she looked away, flushed. So Draco Malfoy still visited her grave despite knowing her secret was out, huh?

Biting her lip, she thought that sometimes, the blond just did things that made him so… so… _endearing _to the brunette.

"Hermione?"

Blinking, she looked back at Blaise and smiled. "What?"

He smiled. "You zoned out," he pointed out.

"I did?" she asked, chuckling. "I… I'm sorry. I've been awfully thinking a lot of NEWTs already. Do you know that I'm currently recalling some of the basic runes now?" She chuckled, tiredly running a hand through her face. "I'm sorry, Blaise. I'm just… preoccupied. Do you think we can reschedule this meeting? I promise to be a good companion the next time we meet."

And then, to her immense surprise, Blaise latched a hand around her wrist, his grip firm, yet gentle. "Wait," he said, "don't go yet. I-I have something to tell you."

Hermione completely froze on the spot, her blood running cold. There was something in Blaise's tone, one that was full of urgency and blatant nervousness, which made her nervous, too.

She slowly looked up at Blaise and almost backpedaled at the intensity of his gaze. There was hard determination and… and something more she could not fathom.

"Blaise, what are you - ?"

"I've been that transparent to you, huh?" he asked, mistaking her look as something of realization.

Her confusion increased ten-fold as she discreetly pulled her wrist away from his grasp. "I-I don't understand," she asked, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. Was it just her or did the woods became suddenly stuffy?

The Italian blinked, surprised at her question, before softly chuckling in disbelief. "And here I thought you were supposed to be the most intelligent witch of her age," he said, although not meaning to make it sound like an insult.

To further surprise her more, Blaise had trapped both of her hands into his big ones, not allowing her any chance to run away from him.

Hermione grew uncomfortable under his intense, bloody _hopeful, _gaze and instead stared down on her feet. She had this feeling where this conversation would go. And she did not like it one bit.

He squeezed her hand, forcing her to look up at him, which she did, but then regretted it in the end. His eyes were shining so bright with so much hope; it broke her heart into two.

"Hermione," he started, his tone now gentler than his usual one. "I… _adore _you." He then vigorously shook his head, his groomed hair tousling a bit because of his movement. "No, no, for goodness' sake, I _love _you."

The brunette gasped, eyes widening with a mixture of astonishment and horror.

"And if I am mistaken, then maybe I'm _almost _in love with you," he continued, offering her a small smile. "I've somehow felt it ever since I discovered that you're Hermione Granger, which was ages ago. Do you remember the time when you met Dumbledore in the library since Peeves ransacked his office?"

Realization dawned on her face and he nodded.

"Yes, I was there. I couldn't help but to overhear," he affirmed. "But, that's not the point. The point is, these feelings I have for you are irrepressible. And so, here I am, absolutely hopeful, to hear an answer from you."

Unknowingly, tears gathered at the corner of her eyes and she hastily withdrew her hands as if she was burned. "Blaise…" she said, looking away as a tear slid down from her face. "Please… don't do this."

He blinked, face slightly paling. "I have to," he said with so much conviction. "I… I have to tell you, or else, my heart would burst." A humorless chuckle escaped from his lips as he ran a hand through his hair, suddenly feeling a little awkward.

"Blaise," she beseeched, looking at him squarely in the eye. She noticed how his face softened upon seeing her cry, further clenching her already painful heart. "You're a nice guy, I swear. I mean, you're funny, and sweet, and… and so _polite_ it won't be a wonder why a lot of girls are falling down on their knees and proclaiming their love for you."

Despite the growing dread in his heart, he quirked a smile. "You have no idea," he said.

She haphazardly wiped her tears away, once again averting her eyes away from him. "I… I'm sorry." There, she had finally said it and it took all of her willpower to utter such heartbreaking words to a hopeful boy. "I just… I don't feel the same way for you, Blaise. I-I'm sorry. You're my best friend and all and _I love you_. But, not like the way you feel about me."

Silence. Thick, suffocating silence surrounded the two of them and Hermione desperately glanced at the exit of the Forbidden Forest, wanting to run away from Blaise as fast as she could. She hated it when people made her feel awfully guilty and dreadful. She had suffered from survivor's guilt before, remember?

And then, to further surprise her more, Blaise released a huge sigh and softly chuckled under his breath. Hermione, with huge, owlish eyes, looked back at him, her jaw slightly dropping.

Blaise looked _knowing_.

"Yeah, well," he started, nervously clearing his throat, "I knew you'd somehow say that. I'm just... I have this sick habit of signing my own death sentence just to release what I'm currently feeling inside."

"Blaise…"

He raised up a hand, halting her from talking, and pointedly looked at Hermione. He then rummaged inside his pocket and pulled out her missing butterfly hairclip. The brunette gasped when Blaise gently pulled out her right hand and placed the hair accessory on her palm.

"How did you find this?" she asked, looking up at him through wet eyelashes.

He cracked a small smile. "Well, it fell out from your hair when we were rescuing your parents," he explained. "I tried to give it back to you but I didn't find the right time."

'_Liar,' _his conscience hissed but he brushed it off. Hey, he was being rejected by the first girl he truly had feelings for. He was allowed to do and say whatever he liked to do or say.

"Blaise," she softly sobbed, reaching for his hand. He, being a bloody, selfish guy, allowed her to grab it. "I'm sorry."

The Italian sighed once again and ran his unoccupied hand through his hair. "It's because of the giver of that hairclip, right?" She gasped so loud a few resting crows squawked out of their trees and flew away. He fondly smiled at her adorable look. "It's okay. Well… not entirely. But… I knew long before that I do not have at least a fraction of chance to be someone that is more than friends with you." He squeezed her hand. "Actually, you unknowingly broke my heart countless times before and I'd be lying if I say I never knew this was coming."

Another sob escaped from her lips and she looked away, scowling. "That doesn't make me feel any better," she pointed out. To Blaise's horror, her sobs turned guttural.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," he said, drawing her close. He wound his arms around her waist and just hugged her tight. "Merlin, Hermione, why are you crying? I'm the one who's supposed to be grieving, you know."

She released a wet chuckle, which prompted him to smile. "I-I'm sorry," she blubbered out. "I-I don't really feel good after rejecting people I truly care about." Hermione slightly pulled away and looked up, directing her slightly puffy eyes into his. "I'm sorry if I've hurt you, Blaise."

The Italian sighed and fished out his handkerchief, affectionately wiping her tears away. "Nothing will change," he said, although deep inside, he knew something will.

"_Something _will change," she interjected, and he smiled.

"Well, maybe something will," he said. "But you'll always be one of my best friends, okay? Maybe it'll take some time to heal. But I told you, you've unknowingly broken my heart into two before. The pain's somehow… familiar."

"That doesn't make me feel any good," she pointed out.

He cracked a charming smile. "It's not supposed to," he stated matter-of-factly.

Hermione looked at him long enough before burying her face against the crook of his neck and held him tight. Blaise allowed his mask of calmness to slip for a while, showing what he truly felt, as he held her tighter to himself, his nose skimming the top of her head.

Too soon, the brunette slowly pulled away, Blaise's handkerchief now clutched tightly into her hand. "I'm sorry," she said.

He waved a dismissive hand, his mask back on its place. "You're still my best friend, remember that," he said, making a step to turn around and walk out of the forest.

Hermione watched him with sad eyes, knowing that despite the mask he was wearing today, she knew he was hurting. Sweet Salazar, she'd been hanging around him for months. Somehow, she knew how to look through his perfect mask.

He needed time, that she much knew. Every rejected people in the whole world needed some time to heal and she knew it. Hermione just hoped that Blaise's healing process would be sooner than later. She would honestly miss the best friend in him. And so, she didn't stop him when he slowly stalked out of the forest, his back facing her.

Just then, he whipped back around, a knowing smile on his face. "Oh, and Hermione?" he said.

"Yeah?" she asked, sniffing afterwards.

"Can you give me a favor and knock some sense into Draco?" he said good-naturedly, complete with a small chuckle of his own. "He'd been a bloody coward for making you wait."

Her eyes widened, her mouth forming a slight 'oh', catching the meaning of his words.

His smile then turned wistful as he completely faced her. "He'd loved you ever since freshmen year, Hermione," he said and watched fondly as she reeled with the revelation. With one last quick glance, he turned around and completely walked out of the Forbidden Forest.

"WHAT?" she screeched out loud, her cheeks flaring up with unsuppressed embarrassment.

'_This day had gotten better and better,' _she snapped sarcastically, turning to her fake grave to glare at the tulip sitting innocently on top of her tombstone.

First, Ginny had discovered that she fancied none other than Draco Malfoy. And then, Blaise had confessed his feelings for her and she, being heartless, had rejected him instead of accepting his feelings just to see if they would work out and to forget the stupid feelings she was harboring for the ferret.

"But, you're no user, Hermione Granger," she firmly told herself, knowing that despite how much she had hurt Blaise, she somehow still did the right thing, not making him wait any longer.

And now… now _this_? Discovering that the boy she fancied _loved _her. And since their first year!

"Oh Merlin, really," she said, running a tired hand through her face. She strode towards her grave and bent down, grasped the tulip, and charmed it everlasting.

Hermione then turned to Teddy's grave. She kissed the tips of her fingers and brushed it against his engraved name, smiling apologetically. "Sorry for all the drama you've witnessed, Teddy," she murmured. "It won't happen again."

Pocketing the tulip, she turned around and walked out of the Forbidden Forest, all thoughts of studying consuming her head just so she could momentarily forget all that had happened today.

As she finally walked out of the forest, she realized the true meaning of what Blaise had told her.

Her hand unknowingly shot up to her heart, which was giddily beating with unadulterated happiness.

"He loves me," she whispered into the air. And with a silly grin glued on her face, she walked inside the safety confines of the Hogwarts castle.

* * *

**A/N: And done! How did you like it, eh? I told you, Blaise's character was important in this chapter *wink* *wink*.**

**So, there were a few who asked me if Ron likes Hermione, so here's my answer - a resounding 'no'. Ron sees Hermione as his best friend, perhaps a sister. Definitely nothing more and nothing less. :D**

**Well, I'll make this thing quick. I'm still feeling a little woozy, probably due to jetlag, since I just arrived earlier this morning. It's 9 pm here in the Philippines and in Spain, the sun is still up and about. I think my body clock is confused XD**

**ANYWAY, read and review, por favor. I've been craving for reviews for TWO AND A HALF WEEKS. **

**Haha, that's it!**

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe :D**


	41. Unspoken Promise of Forever

**Disclaimer: So… the second to the last chapter, huh? We've come a looooong way, dear readers, and I think I've already established the fact that I am WickedlyAwesomeMe and not J.K. Rowling :D Simply put, the Harry Potter series and its characters are not mine. Everything, even Draco Malfoy *sob* is not mine, okay? Oh, but I own the plot. Try to plagiarize it and you'll be the receiving end of my wrath… *wink* *wink***

* * *

**A/N: So, like what I've said in my disclaimer, it's the second to the last chapter of "Only a Pretense". My god, it's really ending now, huh? And once I was merely making an outline of the whole story T_T Gah, I'm feeling really sad now :(**

**ANYWAY, I must cut the crap first so that you could read and then review chapter forty-one of "Only a Pretense". ENJOY, por favor :D**

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**Chapter Forty-One: Unspoken Promise of Forever**

* * *

"Scared, Ronald?" Hermione asked innocently, a wide smirk glued on her face as she hovered a few feet away from the Slytherin goal posts, Quaffle in hand.

The Gryffindor Keeper narrowed his eyes, glaring impertinently at his best friend, her green robes billowing wildly behind her back. "Never," he spat.

The brunette's smirk widened as she pulled back her hand, eyes trained intently on the middle post. Ron, seeing her train of vision immediately guarded the highest goal post. And then, to his immense horror, Hermione threw the Quaffle somewhere on her right. Blaise, who was waiting a few feet away from her, caught the red ball and before Ron could even spell out 'Gryffindor', the Italian had thrown the Quaffle towards the right goal post, and scored.

"Zabini scores!" Seamus Finnigan exclaimed from his commentator box, his famous Irish accent ringing loudly around the Quidditch Pitch, the Slytherin students bursting into wild cheering. "300-250, in favor of Slytherin. Come on, Weasley, where's your Quidditch prowess? Don't let those bast – ."

"Mister Finnigan!" Professor McGonagall cried indignantly on her seat.

" – ah – _Slytherins_, beat you!" the Gryffindor commented, directing a cheeky smile to the affronted Gryffindor Head of House.

Hermione chuckled under her breath and caught Blaise's eyes. "Nice throw," the Italian had commented.

"Nice shot," the brunette added, offering him a smile of her own. Blaise gave her his infamous charming smile and zoomed away from her, guarding Ginny, one of the Gryffindor Chasers.

She forlornly smiled at his dotted figure. Something _did _change between them after Blaise's confession and her rejection. He seemed a little… distant. But then, Hermione had anticipated it. After all, she broke his heart – the first girl he had ever liked had broken his heart. But Hermione was still glad that they were talking, albeit a little guarded. Despite his outwardly guarded words, it was obvious that he wasn't mad at her at all.

With a sigh, she continued to zoom around the Quidditch Pitch, eyes trained intently on the Quaffle.

It was the much-anticipated final game between the Slytherin and Gryffindor Houses. It had surprised Hermione when the Slytherin Quidditch team still offered her the position of the Slytherin Chaser, despite moving out of their common room and back to the Gryffindor House. At first, she was reluctant, thinking it was forbidden. But once they showed her a signed permission from Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape… _Snape_, she finally agreed. Thus, after gulping a few amount of Calming Draught, here she was again, hovering fifty feet off the sandy ground.

Looking around, she caught sight of Draco's unmistakable blond hair, and tried to suppress the silly grin fighting its way on her face. One thing that was good on the day she rejected Blaise was the discovery that Draco Malfoy, _the _one and only, had loved her ever since they were eleven-years-old. It was shocking, of course, seeing that he had a weird way of showing it (what with all the insults and hexes and more insults). But then, deep down her feminine heart, she was beyond ecstatic. Hey, she fancied him, too!

"Oi, Granger, focus!" the Slytherin Captain hollered, glaring at Hermione's direction. The silly grin on her face completely disappeared, morphing into a small frown. Why did she fancy him again?

"Just go mind the snitch, Draco," she shot back, pointedly looking at him. "You're fighting off my best friend, Harry Potter? Does that ring a bell? Bespectacled, thunder-bolt scar, defeater of Voldemort - ."

" – suffocating ego and sickening bravery?" he continued, a smirk fighting its way on his lips.

She rolled her eyes and immaturely stuck out her tongue. "He'd defeated you countless times before." That had wiped off the smirk on his face. "Better focus now, Draco, right?"

"Bloody nuisance," he muttered under his breath and flew away from her, keeping a stern eye at Harry and at the same time looking all over the pitch to look for the Golden Snitch. Chuckling, Hermione went back to her own place and caught the Quaffle thrown to her by Blaise.

* * *

That day, Slytherin had won against Gryffindor, something that had made history since Gryffindor had won the Quidditch Cup _and _the House Cup for six years, consecutively. The whole Slytherin House had rejoiced, headed by their smug Slytherin Quidditch Captain, Draco Malfoy, and had an all-out victory party in their common room.

Hermione was invited, of course, since she was part of the team, despite being a Gryffindor. She had politely declined at first, seeing that NEWTs would start first thing in the morning tomorrow and she still hadn't reviewed properly (which was ridiculous because she was Hermione Granger and she had been preparing for NEWTs ever since last year). But after some persuasion from Draco and Blaise, she stayed.

"Having fun?" Blaise suddenly asked, sidling up beside her and plopping down on one of the plush couches in the common room.

The brunette sighed and smiled. "Yeah, well… it's a nice break," she said. "But… I really need to study now, you know. No, scratch that, _all _of you really need to study now."

"Didn't I tell you you're overworking yourself?" Blaise asked, wagging a finger in front of her face. "Live a little, Hermione. It won't hurt." He placed his bottle of butterbeer down on the coffee table and chuckled. "And besides, you're Hermione Granger. All of the seventh years are expecting you to have perfect scores in all of your NEWTs."

She blushed, humbled. "Blaise, really," she said, absentmindedly rubbing her red cheeks. Although, she couldn't help the smile that stretched widely on her face.

He was smiling widely but then, Hermione noticed that it faltered, his eyes gazed intently on something or someone behind her back. "Here comes the most triumphant of them all," he said, slowly standing up from his seat.

"What are you – Oh," she stated, her neck craned to gaze at the striding blond, flashing an extremely wide smirk than before. When Hermione looked back at Blaise, he was looking at her pointedly. "Blaise…"

The Italian chuckled, waving a dismissive hand. "I have to go, anyway," he said, brushing off invisible lint from his jumper. And then, with a twinkle in his eyes, he murmured, "Remember to do the favor I've asked you to do." And with that, Blaise strode away from the couch, leaving a confused Hermione in his wake.

"Where's Blaise going?" Draco asked, plopping down on the seat beside Hermione. He took a huge gulp from his butterbeer before placing it on the coffee table, satisfied.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his ridiculous behavior. "He's going to do something," she said, doubting him. "I guess."

Draco released a noncommittal sound and leaned back his head against the backrest. "Ah, the taste of victory," he murmured, his infamous Malfoy smirk once again spreading on his face. He shifted his head slightly just so he could properly look her in the eye. "I bet Potter and Weasley's whining now, eh?"

She gave him a playful shove, softly chuckling. "They've lost already, you git," she scolded. "The least you can do is to respect their…" She blinked, at loss of what to say, "… _feelings_."

He made a show of snorting loudly, pushing his head away from the headrest and grabbing his butterbeer once again. "Right, _feelings_," he said wryly, chugging down the last vestiges of his butterbeer. Hermione mimicked his action and grabbed her own bottle of butterbeer, meekly downing its contents.

"That isn't firewhiskey, yes?" he said, eyeing her bottle warily.

The brunette slightly blushed, remembering that eventful night that started it all. "If you don't stop acting like a prat, I might as well grab one and make sure to be beside you all the time," she threatened, although smiled when Draco merely chuckled.

"Empty threats will lead you nowhere, nuisance," he said, eyes slightly shining in humor. "And besides, if ever you _will _spew all over me once again, I'll make sure there are passing first years nearby to act as my shield."

Her nose scrunched up, disgusted with his attitude. "You do realize you're being a cad, right?" she lightly asked, glaring up at him.

He shrugged. "I get that all the time, Granger," he said. "I, Draco Malfoy, am a _cad_." He waved a dismissive hand. "I know that."

She snorted unbecomingly and shook her head. "You're… _incorrigible_," she thought, a small smile quirking on her lips. To her surprise, he shot back an almost-smile that still showed his adorable dimple. Hermione immediately looked away, slightly flushed.

"Incorrigible, indeed," he said, oblivious to her sudden change of demeanor. Draco shifted slightly on the couch, a faraway look on his face before saying, "Do you think Teddy will be proud?"

Astonished, her face snapped back into his direction. A forlorn smile tugged its way onto his lips and she looked down at her hands, feeling suddenly melancholy herself. "Of course he will be," she assured him. "Slytherin finally won the Quidditch Cup from the Gryffindors."

He absentmindedly nodded, running a hand through his hair. "I think," he started, "that it will be better if he's here, celebrating with us."

Hermione sighed, hugging herself. "Yeah," she answered back, almost breathlessly. The brunette did wonder how Teddy would react with all the things that had happened now, not only their victory over the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Hermione'd bet that he would be ecstatic if he heard that Harry Potter won over Voldemort, making everything safe for the Wizarding World. He'd be undoubtedly happy to hear that his sister was finally safe from the dark, free from a monstrous being that had hovered around their family for ages.

Speaking of Annie, Hermione had officially met her a few days after the victory of the Light Side. Her heart had painfully clenched upon seeing the ten-year-old girl, thinking that she looked uncannily like her big brother, what with all the black-haired, blue-eyed glory a Nott possessed.

Hermione had unceremoniously cried that day, the guilt that had long mellowed into yearning came back full force. And Annie Nott, bless her soul, had merely hugged her that day and told her again and again that she did not blame Hermione for the death of her big brother.

"_I actually want to thank you,"_ she had said, running a hand through Hermione's brown tresses for comfort. _"Because before, Teddy is a very selfish person. But because of you, he changed. He'd been selfless that day and only thought of you, not minding his own safety." _

And then, Annie had said something that made Hermione heartily chuckle, despite the tears that ran down from her face. _"You know, Teddy fancied you,"_ the little girl said, grinning widely albeit her own tears running down from her gorgeous eyes. _"He couldn't stop talking about you during Christmas break."_

A small, wistful smile appeared on her face, reminiscing that very day.

"Oi," Draco said, slightly bumping his shoulder against hers. Hermione snapped out of her musings and looked up at him, slightly dazed. "You just zoned out."

Chuckling, she waved a dismissive hand. "Yeah, I'm sorry," she said. "Just thinking of a lot of things." She then carefully placed her empty butterbeer bottle on top of the table and stood up, rubbing a tired eye in the process. "I'm going to call it a night." A wide yawn escaped from her lips. "I still have some studying to do."

"It's still early, Granger," he pointed out, also standing from the couch. Hermione warmly smiled when a small pout graced his handsome features. "You're always welcome in our room, you know."

"And be a witness of your perverseness? No thanks," she bit back, chuckling when he scowled. Just then, Hermione caught glimpse of Blaise from afar, having a deep conversation with Ivan Raft, one of the Beaters of the Quidditch team.

"_Can you give me a favor and knock some sense into Draco?" _

Grinning, she did do Blaise's request. _'That's for being a bloody coward and hiding your true feelings for seven years, Draco Malfoy,' _she thought, seeing the astonished look on his face. "Whoops… my hand slipped. Maybe I'm getting a bit loopy because of the butterbeer."

"Granger…" he growled threatening, massaging his smarting head.

Laughing, she flicked his nose with her fingers and spun around. "'Til we meet again, Draco Malfoy," was her farewell before completely walking out of the Slytherin common room, all thoughts of studying and warm comforters in mind.

Too bad, she was not able to see a widely grinning Draco Malfoy, absentmindedly rubbing his tingly nose.

* * *

They say that every pleasure has its corresponding pain. And the Slytherin seventh years of Hogwarts had firmly believed that. Gone was the euphoria of winning the Quidditch Cup as soon as they were all directed to the Great Hall, taking their very first written test, Transfiguration.

The NEWTs were divided into two categories: written and practical. Four days were dedicated for the final tests of the seventh years. For the first day, written tests for Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Muggle Studies, and Astronomy would be taken up. For those who had taken Arithmancy for their advanced classes (like Hermione), they would also take their test for that subject. For the next day, the practical exams for all six subjects would be done in respective classrooms. On the third day, the seventh years were to take the written exams for Potions, Care for Magical Creatures, Divination (optional), History of Magic, and Herbology. For those who had taken Ancient Runes for their advanced class (_ahem_, Hermione), it would also be taken. And lastly, for the fourth day, the practical tests for all six subjects would be endured by the exhausted seventh years.

"Oh god, my head is killing me," Ron had moaned as soon as they walked out of the Greenhouse 3, where the Herbology practical test for the Gryffindors had taken place.

"At least you are done with your NEWTs," Hermione pointed out, which prompted the redhead to smile.

Harry, chuckling beside Hermione, swung an arm over her shoulder. "You have Ancient Runes after ten minutes," The-Boy-Who-Lived said, "and it's all your bloody fault for thinking that you're some Wonder Woman and taking all the advance subjects in the school curriculum."

The brunette shrugged off his arm and rounded at them, eyes narrowed into thin slits. "Because I want to secure my future," she stated matter-of-factly. Her eyes grew narrower and she slightly frowned. "I have a proposition to make. If I scored higher in Defense Against the Dark Arts, you guys will treat me to this fancy restaurant that had recently opened in Diagon Alley," she said.

Ron's jaw dropped. "But their menu's expensive!" he cried.

"And that's not fair, Hermione," Harry added with a whine. "We all know you'll pass with flying colors on your NEWTs."

"Both of you want to be an Auror," she pointed out. "And the first thing that they look at is your score in Defense Against the Dark Arts. If I scored higher, you treat me. If at least one of you is higher than me, _or _has the same score with mine, then I'll both treat you to that fancy restaurant." Her eyes dangerously flashed. "Do we have a deal?"

Ron scowled while Harry disbelieving chuckled. Judging from Hermione's expression, she wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

"Fine," the bespectacled young man said, which prompted Ron to exclaim a loud, "HARRY!"

Hermione's stern look morphed into a sweet smile. "Well then, that's settled," she said. "Now, if you both will excuse me, I have Ancient Runes to take."

With that, she bounded off to the Ancient Runes classroom, recalling all the things she had learned and studied in the process.

Ron rounded at Harry and scowled. "Can you believe that bloody woman?" he cried. "She's starting to act like a… a _Slytherin!_ Merlin!"

Harry laughed and ruffled his raven hair. "Yeah, well, she'd lived with them for ten months," he said. "We shouldn't be surprised now, you know."

The redhead sighed at a passing Slytherin. "Bloody Malfoy and Zabini," he murmured darkly under his breath. "Bad influences to our Hermione."

"Damn straight, mate," Harry said, vigorously nodding his head. His hand then shot up to his stomach and rubbed it. "Now, do you fancy a snack? I'm famished."

All thoughts of murdering Draco and Blaise in the most imaginative way flew out of Ron's mind as soon as he heard the word 'snack'. "Blimey, I'm starved, too!" he cried, swinging an arm over Harry's shoulder. "I swear, watching those Venus Flytraps eating those flies had made me all the hungrier."

"Oh, Ron, really," Harry said, nose scrunched up in disgust. And together, the two went off to the kitchens.

* * *

Once she finally walked out of the Great Hall, Hermione Granger released a huge sigh of relief.

She could distinctively hear the buzzing of merry laughter and boisterous shouts from her seventh year classmates.

A small smile appeared on her face as she carefully trudged towards the Forbidden Forest, planning to visit her fake grave.

Today was the last day of their seventh year and although Hermione should be rejoicing, since NEWTs and classes were finished already, a budding sadness washed over her form and she had to try her hardest to suppress her tears, watching her classmates hugging each other, assuring them that even though they'd be separating ways, they'd still keep in touch. She was a witness in a heartfelt kiss from Harry and Ginny, the latter invited due to the fact that her boyfriend was finally graduating. Ginny had tears in her eyes as she asked (more of demanded) Harry to send her an owl every single day and if she were to see in the Daily Prophet that he'd been holding the hand of another girl, she'd storm out of Hogwarts and have his head.

"_I love you too much to do that, Gin,"_ was his sweet reply before giving her a kiss on her forehead. Ginny had turned the waterworks on and Harry, laughing boyishly, excused the both of them and probably ran off to Merlin-knows-where.

Chuckling, Hermione shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. Her hand bumped against the butterfly hairclip on her hair and smiled. She fondly patted it before letting her hand fall limply back to her side.

The smile completely wiped off from her face when she suddenly tripped, her right heel getting caught up with a large rock. Softly cursing under her breath, she brandished her wand and magicked her shoes to be more comfortable.

Hermione was currently wearing a semi-formal dress, a green, cocktail one, to be precise. After their graduation and receiving their diploma from their beloved Headmaster, the Great Hall was transfigured to a huge dance hall, celebrating the Graduation Ball of the seventh years. And of course, as required, they were to wear something fancy.

"Bloody dances," she muttered under her breath, dodging a low-hanging branch in the forest. Ever since, she had hated formal dances. Except for the Yule Ball. The looks on her schoolmates' faces when she appeared, all dolled up and in the arms of the famous Viktor Krum, were too priceless for her to dislike it.

Grinning, she hopped over a protruding root on the ground and resumed her journey.

It was truly sad for Hermione, knowing that after this day, she would not be able to go back to Hogwarts anymore. She was offered a position by Minerva McGonagall as a Transfiguration professor-in-training. Hermione, of course, was thrilled since she had always loved Transfiguration. But she politely declined, stating that although she did love studying and Hogwarts, being a professor was not her dream job.

To be a Healer, that was what she wanted to be. Hermione had already filed an application form to St. Mungo's and she had received their response just yesterday.

… _we are willing to accept such a remarkable witch like you, Miss Granger… _

She couldn't suppress the grin that formed on her face. She had always thought that healing people was fascinating. Although, she knew that not all maladies could be healed, she still thought that being a Healer was an honorable job. Especially if she was the reason for the sudden burst of hope in the hearts of the loved ones of the afflicted. Her parents had been dentists, doctors of the teeth, and somehow, they had influenced her.

Thus, once she received the response from the hospital, she wrote a quick reply of 'thank you' and then got a clean piece of parchment to write to her parents about her acceptance in her dream job.

Speaking of her parents, they were quite well already. In fact, they were currently in the Great Hall, talking to an exuberant Mr. Weasley about this so-called Muggle contraption, cell phones.

They had been discharged from the magical hospital three days ago. According to the healer that had handled their case, Healer Warwick, any traces of the dark curse bestowed upon them by the late dark lord were completely gone. They would have lapses, like nightmares and all, but they would be nothing they could not handle. Hermione was there when her parents were released and she welcomed them back to the real world with a loving embrace.

Hermione had finally spotted her fake grave and Teddy's but it wasn't vacant. Blinking, she briskly approached the two tombstones only to see Draco Malfoy standing in front of Teddy's grave, his hands deep in his front pockets.

"Draco?" she asked, announcing her presence. The blond whipped his head around, eyes landing on her form. "What are you doing here?"

He smirked. "If I didn't know you better, nuisance, I'd say you're stalking me," he proclaimed haughtily.

Hermione's jaw dropped, affronted, and screamed an indignant, "I do not!"

"Easy there," he chuckled, cracking a small smile. "I'm just toying with you."

She harrumphed and walked towards him, making it a point to leave a few meters in between them. "You haven't answered my question," she pointed out.

A soft hum. "A question?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and looked up at him. "What are you doing here?" she repeated.

Draco gave a casual shrug, running a hand through his perfectly gelled hair. "I just want to be away from the crowd," he said, making a face. "Merlin, I can't stand the bloody hugs and 'I miss yous' sent by each and everyone in that room. If I were to stay there longer, I'd puke."

"It's the end of our Hogwarts years," she stated. "It's normal to be emotional on this very last day."

He gave her a sideways glance, a frown marring his handsome face. "So, what _are _you doing here?" he asked, throwing back her question to her. "Got tired of Potty and Weasel's constant whining?"

She gave him a pointed look. "They have a name, you know," she said, slightly bristling in annoyance.

"Yeah, well, they call me 'ferret'," he shot back.

A wry smile appeared on her face. "Touché," she retorted.

He smirked and looked down on Teddy's grave. "So what are you doing here?" he asked yet again. "You're the star of the night. Being the valedictorian and all."

"Says the salutatorian," she shot back, grinning. Her chest couldn't help but puff out in pride, knowing that she was the first honor for the school-year (which wasn't surprising, really) and that one of her best friends landed on the position as the second honor. A sigh escaped from her lips and she tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "Well… I came out from the Great Hall because…" She paused, frowning thoughtfully. "I don't know. I guess I just want some… time alone."

"You want me to go?" he asked, eyebrows hidden behind his fringes.

She shook her head. "Nah, and just tire your Majesty?" she shot back cattily. Upon seeing his roll of eyes, she laughed.

Both reverted to a comfortable silence, busy with their own trail of thoughts. It was Hermione who broke it moments after.

"Mrs. Malfoy sent me a letter two days ago," she quipped, looking at him to gauge his reaction. "She's inviting me next week for your official declaration as the Head of the Malfoy family."

He scowled, looking none-too-pleased. "Yeah, I knew that," he said, sighing through his nose. "Mother had written your name first on the list of the guests. Even before _Blaise_, which she had known for ages."

She grinned at the information. "Your mother's very kind," Hermione said. "She'd visited me a few weeks ago."

Draco grimaced, remembering that day. "Yeah, she told me," he answered back. _'More of like gushed out how gorgeous you are like a silly, little fan girl.' _Though, he couldn't blame his mother. Hermione Granger was one, stunning girl. One proof would be _now_, her being adorned by a dress that had flattered every imaginable curve on her body.

Blushing, he looked away.

"How's all your Malfoy business?" Hermione said. "Last time I asked Blaise, he said you had a lot of signing to do."

He released a huge sigh, his shoulders sagging in blatant exhaustion. "Hectic," he said, remembering that he had to run along two hours from now since he had to meet his family's lawyer and all. "I haven't slept properly for the last four days."

Hermione made a face. "That busy?"

"Yeah."

She scoffed and crossed her arms. "You filthy rich people need to go through a lot of processes just to pass your possessions to your heir," she mumbled in frustration. "Why can't you just donate them to some institutions or something?"

"I'm Draco Malfoy, remember?" he asked. "A _Malfoy_. We Malfoy's are bloody selfish. And besides, dear daddy and my other ancestors would rise up from their graves, team up, and barge into my room to eat my brain if they discovered that I carelessly 'threw' away their pride and joy."

A shiver ran down from her spine, conjuring a mental image. "That's disgusting, Draco," she said.

He merely shrugged. "So… what's the Golden Girl going to do after graduation?" he asked.

"Golden Girl?" she asked, blinking in disbelief.

"They dubbed you as one," he said. "The Daily Prophet."

She snorted. "Right, the Daily Prophet," she snapped sarcastically. She had always hated that newspaper, what with all their rubbish news and propaganda. "If you must know, I've been accepted in St. Mungo's as a Healer-in-training. I'd be starting two weeks from now."

"A Healer?" he asked, surprised. "You wanted to be a Healer? I thought you couldn't stand the smell of the Disinfecting Charms in St. Mungo's?"

Hermione grimaced. "Yeah, a minor setback," she murmured. "But, I can get used to it. I mean, Healers _got _used to them."

Draco frowned at her answer. "I always thought you'd wanted to be an Auror, or a teacher…" A smirk appeared on his face. "… or a _librarian_. That job will certainly suit you. Madam Pince is really getting really old now, don't you think?"

"Oh, shut it," she said, although a small smile appeared on her face. "I dunno. I recently came into a conclusion that I want to be a Healer. Specifically after the war."

"Oh, right," Draco said. "Saving people's lives. You know, I suggest that you minimize your time around Potter. Or better yet, _quit _hanging around him. I think it's not only his 'survivor's guilt' germs rubbing off of you but also his 'hero complex' virus."

"Can you stop insulting my friends now?" she asked, nostrils flaring. "I make it a point _everyday _that they won't insult you and Blaise, too, you know."

He just shrugged nonchalantly. "Old habits die hard," he said. "_Rivalries _die hard."

She shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Boys and their bloody egos," she murmured under her breath.

"Oi, I heard that!"

"Because you're supposed to," the brunette sing-songed, grinning cheekily.

Draco sneered. "Spending too much time with either me or Blaise sure screwed up your brain," he pointed out. "You're acting more and more like a Slytherin everyday."

Hermione chuckled, not offended at all. "Ginny and Ron exactly said the same thing to me," she said, shaking her head. "Am I really?"

He scrutinized her for a while before nodding his head. "Yeah," he answered. Absentmindedly, he brandished his wand and twirled it in his fingers. "Granger?"

"Yeah?"

"Your parents owled me a week ago," he stated.

Hermione rounded at him, her eyes wide as saucers. "They did?" she gasped out, astonished beyond comprehension. "What? _Why_?"

He smiled, recalling the contents of the letter. "A thank you letter," he said. "For helping in rescuing them…" He gave her a sideways glance. "For taking care of their daughter…" He paused and cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks inflaming again. "They asked me to drop by this weekend in your house. Blaise received the same invitation, just so you know."

The brunette knitted her eyebrows, surprised with her parents. "And what did you say?" she asked carefully, trying to gauge his reaction through his face. A huge part of her guessed the two had declined, or maybe only _Draco _had declined. Her parents were Muggles and although they were not the same bigoted children than before, they still had… issues.

"Well," he said, shrugging slightly, "I said 'yes'. So did Blaise. I mean, what's the harm?" His voice faltered, seeing how her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. A frown graced his features and he asked, "You don't want us to go to your house?"

Hermione snapped out of her stupor and vigorously shook her head, managing to slightly tousle her perfectly fixed hair. "No, no," she interjected. "It's just that I'm… surprised. That's all."

He quirked up a smirk, a knowing look on his face. "You thought we'd say 'no', yeah?" he asked. He chuckled when she sheepishly smiled. "I thought so."

"Well, can you blame me?" she asked, smiling up at him.

He was thoughtful for a full minute before shaking his head. "No," he said, offering a small smile of his own. "I can't." He heaved a huge sigh before chancing a glance on his watch. "I think it's best if you go back. The Graduation Ball will end any minute now. One of your clingy friends are probably wondering where you've wandered off."

"They're not clingy!" she shot back, although she couldn't help but to grin widely in agreement. "Just… just missing me."

"Yeah, keep telling that to yourself," he said, chuckling. He pensively tapped his wand against his palm, eyebrows drawn together.

Her grin turned into a sincere smile, regarding him with fondness in her eyes. "I'll be going now," she said.

He nodded, a strange look suddenly settling in his eyes. "Yeah," he said.

Hermione nodded her head for her farewell and swiveled around, already taking small steps back to the castle.

"GRANGER!" he bellowed.

The brunette jolted in surprise and turned around, eyes wide as she stared at him with question in her eyes.

"I…" he blurted out. His cheeks turned a vivid shade of red, greatly contrasting against his pale complexion. "I'll be leaving England for eight months."

Her smile froze before completely disappearing. She willed her wide eyes to revert back to their right size as she clenched her hands into fists, restraining their tremor.

Pain stabbed mercilessly in her heart.

"Really?" she asked, averting her eyes away from him.

He nodded his head. "I'll be in the United States," he elaborated. "Studying our family business and all."

She gulped down a lump slowly forming in her throat. "N-no breaks?" she squeaked out, clearing her throat.

This time, he shook his head. "Can't afford to have a break," he said. "It's a huge business. Having no CEO for a week leads to loads of problems." He paused, catching her gaze. "I'll be leaving two weeks from now."

"Already?"

He nodded.

"How about Narcissa?" she asked.

He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "She'll come with me," he answered. "I think a trip outside the country will do her some good."

Hermione hummed for her reply, at loss for words.

"I guess I won't be seeing you for… a while," he carefully said, watching her at the corner of his eyes.

She blanched and only nodded.

The brunette thought she was being ridiculous. He would only leave for eight months.

'_Without breaks,' _a voice inside her head quipped. _'Meaning, he won't be able to come back to England for a while.' _

Misery gripped her heart and she took a soft, shaky breath. "I…" she said. "I think I should go now…"

He nodded, looking at her with an indistinguishable look in his eyes. "You go on first," he said. "I still have something to do." He looked at her fake grave meaningfully, which Hermione had caught. A small smile appeared on her face upon noticing that there was no tulip on top of her tombstone, _yet_.

"Okay," she said. She hesitated then, "I'll see you sometime, Draco."

"You, too…" he paused, "Hermione."

She smiled, nodded her head, and then swiveled around, meaning to march off outside the Forbidden Forest without a glance back.

But just then, some unfathomable force had completely stopped her in her tracks, her head whipping around sharply, desperation clearly etched on her face. She had no idea what had possessed her to say such cheeky words to Draco Malfoy. Perhaps it was the pent-up feelings she had for him, waiting to burst out from her system. Or maybe, it was the knowledge that he would be gone for a while, and pain was ruthlessly stabbing her heart, telling her that he would be gone and once he came back, there would probably be some dumb bimbo clinging onto his arm.

"What's this I heard, Malfoy?" she bit back, watching him as he readied to produce a tulip on his hand. "You love me?"

Eerie silence rang loudly in the forest. And the next thing she knew, a carnivorous plant was sitting on Draco Malfoy's hand. A horrified gasp escaped from Hermione's lips as she pulled out her wand, vanishing off the plant before it could completely rip off the hand of a stunned Draco.

She could feel laughter pushing its way out of her throat and she allowed it. Her boisterous laughter rang loudly in the whole forest, bent over as she clutched her already aching stomach. "M-Merlin!" she gasped in between chuckles.

"You did that on purpose!" Draco roared, turning around her, his cheeks the darkest shade of red Hermione had ever seen. "It… it _almost ate my hand_!"

A new bout of laughter escaped from Hermione's lips and the blond merely scowled, albeit the maroon cheeks, and frustratingly conjured a tulip and gently placed it on top of her grave.

"Oh, Draco," she said, calming down. She brushed off a few tears from her eyes and strode towards her tombstone, bending down to grasp the flower. "That was hilarious."

His scowl darkened. "Fuck off, Granger."

"Ooh, somebody's angry."

He glared at the tulip in her hand. "What are you doing?" he snarled. "Put that back on the tombstone."

She innocently smiled whilst charming the flower everlasting, pocketing it in the process. Draco watched her actions in confusion, before realization dawned on his features. "You're the _tulip thief_!" he bit back. "So, that's the reason why every time I visited, I see no wilted flowers."

"What's the point of leaving them?" she asked. "Technically, they're mine." Hermione then narrowed her eyes. "Wait a minute, you're changing the topic! You haven't answered my question!"

If it was possible, Draco's cheeks darkened. "Quit toying with me, nuisance," he spat. "It's not funny."

She wagged a finger in front of his face. "I'm being serious here, mister," she said. "Answer my question. Now!"

He scowled and swatted her away. "Who told you that?" he furiously asked.

"Blaise," she merely said.

His scowl turned into an enraged grimace. "That… that BASTARD!" he sputtered out, hands clenching into tight fists. "You just wait, Zabini, I'm going to rip off your bloody jewels with my own bare hands and - ."

"You're evading my question again!" Hermione pointed out, pointing an accusatory finger into his direction.

The words died down from his lips, his mouth still hanging open. He closed and opened his mouth before releasing a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. "What am I supposed to say?" he cried in exasperation, averting his eyes away from her. "You... YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO KNOW! Ooh, Blaise, if I saw you right here and now, I swear… STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT, YOU BLOODY NUISANCE!" He paused, his chest heaving, as Hermione continued to gaze up at him, slightly at awe.

Draco slightly backpedaled, directing his red face away from the love of his life. "Yo-you have no idea how long I've hid this… this _damnable _feeling I have for you for years, Granger. YEARS." He was babbling and the brunette knew it. But she did not point it out, listening to his angry tirade with rapt attention. "W-when you died or _pretended _to, rather, I was… I was so _devastated_."

A mortified look then appeared on his face, realizing where his tirade was going. "Fucking hell, I'm not supposed to say all of those things now!" he cried.

Hermione calmly looked up at him, albeit the redness of her cheeks that rivaled his own. "Are you quite done now?" she asked, wondering why she could be so calm now despite the fact that the man she fancied practically confessed to her of his feelings.

He glared.

She sighed, and then averted her eyes away from him. "I… think I heard someone calling out my name," she smoothly lied, turning her face away from him. "I'm heading back now."

She did not see him bristle in anger but the next thing she knew, he spun her around, his face a bit murderous. "H-how can you be so casual about this, nuisance?" he bellowed. "Here I am, embarrassing myself in front of you and you… oomph!"

His words died down as soon as Hermione crashed her lips against his. His eyes grew wide, realizing what she was doing. But before he had the chance to kiss her back, she pulled away. Her cheeks were a lovely shade of red and her smile… it paled comparison to all those smiles of celebrities plastered all over the covers of the Witch Weekly.

"I do love you, you know," she murmured, affectionately nudging his nose with her own. "Err… well, not exactly, since I just recently came into a conclusion that I have feelings for you Mal… oomph."

This time, he had cut her off with his own lips, furiously moving against her stunned one. Before _she _could respond back, he pulled away, flashing the goofiest smile Hermione had ever seen in her whole life. "Bloody hell, Granger, _I love you_," he said.

"Hmm… I think we've quite established that," she said, mirroring his stupid smile.

A low growl escaped from his lips, one arm wounding itself around her waist. "You like me. I bloody like you. Now that we've established that, I'm going to warn you that your… _mouth _will probably be… preoccupied for a while." He released a pained groan as he buried his other free hand under her tresses. "All those years… tried to restrain myself from kissing you… and now that I can…"

She chuckled and placed one hand against his cheek, the other placed gently against his chest. "Kiss me again?" she requested.

His response was to cover her mouth with his again. Through that kiss, passionate and heated as it could be, Hermione was able to fully understand all the restraining and the longing he had to do, unleashed by just one, sweet kiss.

A small chuckle escaped from her lips when she placed both of her hands on his chest, gently pushing him away. He growled, about to kiss her again, but she shook her head. "We have to go back," she told him, taking a few steps back. His arm around her waist slipped off her form. "They're probably looking for me now. Merlin knows what they'd do. Probably gather up some search team or something."

Draco sighed and murmured dark nothings under his breath, all regarding a certain Potter and Weasley and their sick desire to ruin his whole life. "Fine," he said, finally heaving a huge sigh. "We'll go back."

Hermione quirked an eyebrow in amusement. "Holy Hufflepuff, Malfoy, I've got you _whipped_," she cried jovially, shouting when he poked her side.

"Say that again and I'll curse you, nuisance," he threatened, although he couldn't fight off the smile that appeared on his face.

She looked at him appraisingly, warmly thinking that his dimple _did _suit him, after all. "Just, come on," she said, and started to walk out of the forest. Draco then jogged next to her, a dissatisfied frown on his face.

"Once eight months of my trainings passed, Hermione," he stated, almost demandingly. "Expect your schedule to be booked."

Hermione smiled, humming in agreement. "I'll keep that in mind," she assured him.

With a grin, he did the unthinkable. Gingerly, he reached for her hand, and laced his fingers with hers. The brunette looked up at him, surprise on her face, only see that he was staring straight ahead, a pleased, contented smile on his face.

"Sometimes," she quipped, tightening her hold with his hand, "you never cease to amaze me, Draco."

"I'll let you be more amazed," he spoke, conviction in his voice, "as soon as I come back. And then, I'll make sure my out-of-town trips will be minimized."

The brunette nodded, her smile widening. Just then, she halted in her steps, suddenly remembering the real reason why she came out of the Great Hall towards her fake grave in the first place.

"Wait," she exclaimed, retrieving her hand from his grip. "Wait here. I forgot to do something." She jogged back to the graves with Draco watching her with mild curious in his features. A few minutes later, she came back, a proud grin on her face, before grabbing his hand once again and weaving her fingers into his.

"Come on," she said, tugging his arms. "Let's go back."

He nodded and they resumed their walk.

As the two walked back to Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy's grip on Hermione Granger's hand tightened, this time with an unspoken promise of forever.

* * *

The breeze blew stronger, managing to lift off dried leaves from ground. One particular managed to land on top of Hermione Granger's fake grave.

But this time, the words on her tombstone had changed, the name altered into a new one.

_**Hermes Austen  
**__Though only a pretense, he saved a million lives._

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_**FIN**_

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*** I just want to clarify something. Some people got confused when I made "freshmen year" synonymous with "first year". I actually had no idea that "freshmen year" in America or in Hogwarts or whatever technically meant that you are in fourth year and all. My basis for the "freshmen year" thing is how my country made the grading system, okay? I used to be a freshman, a first year, so there :D I do apologize and I hope I made that matter clear *wink* *wink***

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**Review Responses:**

**Nocturnal Rose: **Well, LOVE LOVE LOVE your review! I actually felt how much you loved the last chapter XD Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**ninafelton229: **I think you must be grinning now because your guess in your review was absolutely right! Hahaha, well, did you like it? Are you satisfied? Anyway, thanks for reviewing :D

**Maelin: **Thank you very much. I try to give my all in this story, especially because I love it, too :D Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**slytherinbabe44: **I apologize for the "freshman year" thing. I considered our grading system here in my country, the Philippines, because here, if you are regarded as a "freshman", it means you are in your first year. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

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**A/N: Well, technically it's not really the **_**end **_**of the whole story, seeing that I will still post the epilogue. But just in case some bizarre thing or whatever happened and I was not able to post it… KIDDING XD I love messing up with my readers. I bet some of you panicked :D Haha, anyway, so how did you like it? Please tell me in your reviews.**

**Speaking of reviews, OH MY EFFING GOSH, I still cannot believe it. Twenty-seven reviews more and "Only a Pretense" will officially have a thousand reviews. Good Godric, A THOUSAND REVIEWS! I used to think that that dream's merely that – a **_**dream**_**. But it seems so achievable to me now T_T DEAR READERS, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY I AM NOW. If I could, I would have hugged each and everyone of you. **

**Anyway, that's it for now. It's midnight and I have school seven hours from now. I still need to sleep, if you must know. My golly, having my own laptop isn't helping at all since I have no competition with my siblings whatsoever. **

**So again, reviews! **

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe :D**


	42. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I've reached the end of "Only a Pretense" and yet, I'm still no JK Rowling. Sigh, what a sad, boring life :( But really, not mine, not yours. Only our awesome JK Rowling's. **

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**A/N: OH. MY. ROWLING. It's the effing end of "Only a Pretense" and it's making me so damn sad. We've journeyed for almost a year, I think XD Gosh, I'm being dramatic and all. Sorry, the drama queen inside me is slowly resurfacing as I type these not-really-last-words-but-feels-like-one to my readers (and reviewers!)**

**So, it's really the end… or is it? Haha, I'm playing mind games again, don't mind me. Gah, whatever. So, here's the epilogue I promised! I decided to post it earlier because I love you all for making me finally reach my goal of having over a thousand reviews; hence, here's your reward! An early update! *wink* *wink***

**I'll keep this part short since I know you're anticipating to read the epilogue already. Enjoy, please! And please review afterwards :D**

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**Epilogue**

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"'Mione, do we really have to treat you?" Ronald Weasley whined, pouting sulkily. Harry Potter good-naturedly chuckled when Hermione merely glared.

"Well, nobody can beat Hermione in NEWTs, Ron," Harry offered, swinging an arm around Hermione's shoulders. "Don't tell me you did not expect this."

The redhead scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Right," he said. "Nobody can beat Hermione Jean Granger, coined as the brightest witch of her age." He scowled and sullenly glared at the stone pavement and mumbled, "But I still wished I'd miraculously exceed; nay, have _the same _score with the Golden Girl."

Hermione playfully hit the back of Ron's head and laughed. "The key word's _miraculously_, Weasel," she teased, chuckling when he glared at her. "No way in hell you're going to exceed… _ahem_, have the same score as my Defense Against the Dark Arts score."

"And now, she's acting like a Slytherin again," Ron announced heavenward, attracting some passersby. His ears turned red when a bunch of girls they'd passed giggled. He swore that one even threw him a suggestive wink. "Merlin, can't they be subtler? They're looking at us like we're some bunch of celebrities!"

They were currently walking in the Diagon Alley, planning to eat dinner in this newly opened fancy restaurant, _La Fleur_. Their NEWT scores had arrived two days ago and as expected, Hermione had got all 'Outstanding' in every subject. Harry and Ron, remembering their deal, opened their own report cards with trepidation in their heart.

In the end, they both got an 'Exceed Expectations'. Thus, they were to treat a victorious Hermione to the said restaurant.

"That's because we _are _celebrities," Hermione told him, pointedly ignoring seductive grins directed to her as they passed by a bunch of rowdy, hormonal teenage boys. "Well, _technically_."

Harry's nose scrunched up in disgust as a passing mother took his picture and gave it to her excited little daughter. "I knew it will be worse than before," he grumbled sulkily. Contrary to the belief of most Slytherins, Harry Potter was never a fan of being placed into the spotlight. But then again, ever since he received the lightning bolt scar on his forehead, he was instantly a celebrity. "We should have used those bewitched glasses of yours, Hermione. I knew they would be handy someday."

"You're right," she said with a sigh.

Hermione's fame had escalated as soon as the whole Wizarding World discovered that she went incognito and fraternized with the enemy, the Dark Lord himself. There were rumors… rumors that had made her sick to the stomach. But she brushed them all off. She was tempted to tell the truth, but Dumbledore had advised her it would be best if she kept it between her and the people she trusted.

"We're here," Ron cheerily announced, spotting the ostentatious signage of the famous restaurant. Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. Anything associated with food always cheered up Ronald Bilius Weasley.

A Welcome Wizard greeted them when they entered. "Mister Potter," he said, voice low and alluring. "This way please."

He led them at the very back of the restaurant, away from prying eyes. Just the place they wanted.

The three shrugged off their cloaks and gave it to the Welcome Wizard before prancing away, about to welcome another newcomer.

"Ah," Ron had said, rubbing his stomach as he looked at the menu. "What to eat. What to eat." He spotted a really delectable delicacy but once his eyes strayed on the price, his stomach dropped. "Merlin, thirty-three galleons for a plate of steamed crabs?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "What do you expect?" she said, calmly gazing at her menu. "This is, after all, a four-star restaurant." Upon seeing the redhead scowl, she laughed. "Fine, fine, don't treat me if you're broke. I've recently received my salary from training and well, it's quite a lot. Being a Healer and all."

Ron looked grateful but Harry frowned. "You sure?" he asked. "We made a pact… OW!" He glared darkly at the youngest male Weasley, who glared back.

"Harry, she said it's fine!" he furiously whispered.

Harry playfully swatted Ron's neck, who released an indignant "HEY!"

"It's fine, Harry," the brunette said, shaking her head. "We'll change the deal. Hmm… let's see." She snapped her fingers, coming up with an idea. "Oh, I know! Flourish and Blotts recently introduced a complete set of different _Hogwarts: A History _editions and well… buy that for me." She sheepishly smiled. "Though, there are ten books, you know."

The-Boy-Who-Lived laughed while Ron snorted. "Books over food," the redhead murmured. "Why am I not surprised?"

Hermione merely shrugged her shoulders and smiled widely.

Their assigned waiter came and then took their orders. They chatted while waiting and once the food arrived, Ron instantly devoured his food.

"Ron, bite, chew, and swallow, remember?" Hermione said, deftly flicking a chunk of steak from her arm. "Seriously, now that you're eighteen, I'm expecting more from you."

"Don't bother, 'Mione," Harry said, thankfully having more manners than the redhead beside him. "Anything you say goes to one ear then exits on the other one."

She merely shook her head and went back to her food.

"Oi!" the redhead suddenly said, half-chewed food still in his mouth. Hermione scrunched up her nose in disgust but did not bother reprimanding him. Harry was right after all. Ron never listened to her lectures. "I heard that Malfoy went to the United States yesterday."

Hermione froze, cheeks suddenly inflaming with embarrassment.

Harry snorted at her reaction. "You're late in the news department, Ron," he said. "Lover Boy's gone to the United States for his Malfoy business and all that crap."

"Lover Boy?" Ron asked, confused. But then, one look from Hermione made him understand. His nose scrunched up in disgust and made a show of pushing his plate of food away from him. The witch glared at him, despite her inflamed cheeks. "Oh, right. How can I forget? You're dating the ferret."

"Hey," she shot back, frowning at her best friends. "He's not that bad."

"Fine, fine, he isn't," Harry said, waving a dismissive hand. "But I still don't trust him. Old habits die hard."

She gently smiled. Draco had told her _exactly _the same thing on their graduation day.

Ron started popping his knuckles, a challenging look on his face. "If he hurts you, we'll kill him, do you understand me?" he asked. Hermione rolled her eyes at his ridiculousness. "I don't care how much he apologizes. I don't care how much you, _Merlin forbid_, _love _him. But we'll still kill him and nobody can stop us."

"Don't be ridiculous, Ronald," she reprimand. "Draco Malfoy can probably be a git sometimes - ."

A snort. "Sometimes? How about _always_?"

- "but if he wants to hurt me, he could have done it ages ago, right?" she asked, silently seething. She was sporting her infamous evil eye, the one that greatly rivaled Mrs. Weasley's, and the blokes sitting across from her thought it was time to stop.

"Okay, okay. Merlin, don't get your knickers in a twist, woman!" the Weasel exclaimed, gingerly patting her hand to calm her down. "We were only goofing around."

Hermione made a sour face. "Men," she mumbled under her breath, shaking her head when Harry cracked a grin. "I can't believe I managed to be one for a whole school-year."

They had dropped the subject about her current relationship with one Draco Malfoy and started to talk excitedly about – _'Surprise! Surprise!' _– Quidditch. Hermione chose that time to let her mind drift to last week's events, mostly concerning her favorite bigoted ferret.

To say that she was astonished of Draco Malfoy's _deep _feelings for her was like saying that Voldemort cuddled kittens in his sleep (which was a very, very disturbing imagination for Hermione). The whole week that she spent with him proved that despite him being a bastard most of the time, he was still capable of withholding such feelings in his heart.

Draco Malfoy was not romantic. Merlin, no! Hermione thought that on the day that he would be a handsome Prince spouting poetic, profound, _romantic _words from his mouth would be the day the earth crumbled. The brunette even suspected that the blond strived very, very hard to be his usual cynical, sarcastic prat for the whole world to see.

But there were moments when he would just do things that made her heart flutter madly inside her ribcage. For one, the tulips he left on top of her fake grave. She still had all of the tulips he left secured inside the secret compartment in her trunk. And she guessed that their amount would equate the number of school days they had during their final year in Hogwarts.

They had also gone on numerous dates on his last week in London. During those dates, they would have debates about the most ludicrous things in the world. She always secretly thought that he looked dashing while passionately defending the fact that hippogriffs, no matter how cuddly and fluffy they were, were extremely dangerous.

When they were not talking at all, only basking in the comfortable silence surrounding them, she would always catch him staring at her as if… _she_ was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Her cheeks would always inflame but once he realized that he was staring, he would quickly look away and mumble a mockery that he immediately came up with.

"_Merlin, nuisance, hungry much? Even your bird's nest eating your pudding!" _

See what she meant?

A small chuckle escaped from her lips as she stared fondly on her right hand. Draco never voiced it out but she knew that he loved it every time he held her hand. Just with the way he squeezed it once in a while was enough proof. Sometimes, he would do it out of the blue without any reason at all. When they were walking, sitting, laughing, bickering… he would just reach out for her hand and hold it. _Tightly_.

The brunette bit her bottom lip to stifle a goofy smile she knew would be growing soon. _'Mmm… peppermint and Chocolate Frogs,' _she thought, unconsciously licking her bottom lip. He tasted like that. She blushed into a lovely shade of red, remembering a certain incident two days ago regarding her, him, and a certain broom closet in the Malfoy Manor. Good lord, she had never been kissed like that! Draco was apparently serious when he told her that her lips would be occupied most of the time once they became a couple.

A forlorn sigh escaped from her lips as she placed her elbow on the table, her chin on top of her hand. _'I miss him so,' _she thought with a frown. It had only been a day ever since his departure but how she missed him already. _'Seven months and twenty-nine more days to go, Hermione. You'll survive.' _

She hated it that she started to grow so attached to the albino ferret to the point of making her feel like crying.

"And now Hermione Granger's fantasizing about the ferret," Ron's sarcastic voice broke through her musings. "Great! Now, I feel like I can eat no more."

"Ron, you dolt," Harry growled, slapping the back of his head once again. "Be sensitive. It's disgusting, yeah, but 'Mione's missing the prat."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Harry," she bit back sarcastically. The-Boy-Who-Lived merely smiled at her innocently.

She then grabbed the table napkin on her lap and wiped her mouth. "Anyway, thanks for the company," she thought, daintily wiping her mouth. "I have to run along. I'm expected to be in St. Mungo's twenty minutes from now."

After a chorus of 'Goodbyes' from both Harry and Ron, Hermione turned around and apparated.

* * *

_After eight months…_

Eight months had passed ever since Voldemort's downfall and the Wizarding World, albeit slowly, was recuperating wonderfully. Although there were still mental scars left by the Second War, almost everybody moved on.

The last followers of the fallen Dark Lord were captured by a duo of Aurors, namely Auror Harry Potter and Auror Ron Weasley, and finally received the Kiss from a Dementor. Now, the last Death Eaters who were rumored to start a revolt and continue Voldemort's legacy finally disappeared from Earth. The Wizarding World was once again safe from any threats of a rumored rising Dark Lord.

"Healer Granger, are you listening?"

In St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, one particular famous brunette sat fidgety on her seat, mind floating with the clouds, which was very surprising since it was infrequent for her to daydream.

"Healer Granger?"

She could not be blamed, really. Today was a very special day for Hermione Jean Granger and she could daydream and fidget all she wanted.

"Gr – Hermione?"

A sigh escaped from her lips as she placed her chin on top of her hand. _'It's today,' _she said, a small, growing smile appearing on her face. _'He'll be coming back today.'_

"_HERMIONE!_"

The brunette emitted a loud yelp of astonishment. Because of surprise, she toppled off her seat and landed with a dull thud on the white-tiled hospital floor. "Oh bugger," she murmured, rubbing her sore bottom. Laughter then was heard from above her and she discreetly scowled, looking up from the ground to stare at the Welcome Witch of the magical hospital, Ellen Stone.

"Blimey, lass," Mrs. Stone said, offering a wrinkled hand to the brunette. Hermione blindly held it and pulled herself up. "What were you thinking? I've been talking to you for quite a while and it seemed like you haven't heard a single thing."

Hermione sheepishly smiled, her cheeks splattered with a lovely shade of red. "Sorry, Mrs. Stone," she said, tucking a stray curl behind her ear in embarrassment. "Just thinking of… _something_."

The Welcome Witch hummed and beamed at Hermione. "Now, your lunch break's over, sweetheart," she said, glancing at her half-eaten plate of treacle tart. "You've got a firecall from Narcissa and she told me it's urgent."

"Narcissa?" she said, striding towards the Floo network of the establishment. She greeted her colleagues along the way, pride swelling in her chest for finally being addressed as 'Healer Granger'. She had finally achieved her position after a few months of training. And, although the Disinfecting Charms in St. Mungo's still made her a tad woozy with nausea, she was somehow getting used to it already. "What could she possibly want?"

"I'll be off on my desk, Healer Granger," Mrs. Stone said. "If you need me, you know where to find me."

The younger witch offered her a smile and soon, the Welcome Witch strode away.

Hermione then arrived at the Floo Room of the hospital and pushed open the doors. It was somehow crowded with exiting and arriving patients and healers. A few, she had recognized; thus, she gave them a pleasant greeting.

She finally located the fireplace where her name was flashed brightly on top. Curious, she strode briskly towards the furnace and knelt down, Narcissa's face embossed in the fire. She could still make out her beautiful features despite the contortion of the fire.

"Narcissa?" she asked. "I'm here. What is it?"

A lovely grin stretched on the elderly woman's face. "Come hither, love," she said. "I need a lot of help for the Welcoming Party for Draco today."

Unknowingly, a small smile appeared on her face. "I'll be right there, Narcissa," she said. "I'm just going to tell my Senior."

"Make haste, Hermione," she said and she nodded, standing up.

As the brunette strode out of the room and looked for Senior Healer Watson, her mind strayed to Narcissa. She did come with Draco to the United States but only stayed there for a month. The Malfoy matriarch claimed she loved England too much to leave it and besides, her son was mostly out of their vacation house and she was alone most of the time. Hence, she went back to the Malfoy Manor and ever since, Hermione constantly visited Mrs. Malfoy.

"Healer Watson!" Hermione claimed, spotting her Senior Healer striding languidly towards the Healer Lounging Room. Upon hearing his name, he looked up and smiled knowingly upon spotting Hermione.

"Ah, Healer Granger, the one girl I wanted to see," he said and waited until Hermione arrived beside him. "Do not worry, I do know. And I am allowing you."

Her face morphed into surprise. "Oh," she said.

Healer Watson waved a dismissive hand. "Run along," he said. "This is a very special day for you. Oh, and Healer Granger, for your hard work, I am giving you a week of vacation and resting. Merlin knows you needed a vacation the most! You've been working too hard."

"A week of vacation, sir?" she cried, surprised. When the elder Healer nodded his head, she brightly beamed. "Thank you, Healer Watson. I'll make it up to you next week. I'll see you next week." And with that, she sprinted towards the Floo Room, momentarily forgetting that no one was supposed to run in the corridors of St. Mungo's.

"Charming young woman," he commented, not having the heart to reprimand his junior Healer. After all, it was a very special day for her.

* * *

"Hermione," Narcissa greeted happily as she enveloped the young witch into her arms. "My, my, you still look as ravishing as ever, dear. My son will be very happy to see you."

Her cheeks splashed with red in embarrassment. "Narcissa, really," she said, softly chuckling under her breath as she pulled away from the hug.

"Well, it's true," she said, fondly patting her cheek, secretly coveting the day when she could finally call her her daughter-in-law.

"Hermione, is that you?"

The brunette whipped around so fast her neck almost cricked. She recognized that voice… "Blaise!" she exclaimed, launching herself at the arms of her Italian best friend. His chest vibrated with his chuckles and warmly hugged her back. "It's been a while since I last saw you!"

And it was true. Like Draco, Blaise also had some business matters he had to do regarding his position as the Head of the Zabini family. Although, unlike Draco, he was not entirely busy. Hermione had caught glimpses of him once in a while and she had numerous 'tea meeting's, according to the nineteen-year-old man, with him in a Muggle coffee house. Both had also went back to Hogwarts twice just to visit their Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, and the grave of their late best friend, Theodore Nott.

"We've met two weeks ago, Hermione," Blaise said, patting her back good-naturedly. "Merlin, it's the first time I've seen you in your Healer robes. And dare I say it, you look gorgeous."

Ah, ever the charmer. Hermione's cheeks colored slightly and playfully punched his chest. "Oh, you," she said, fondly smiling up at him. He flashed her his infamous charming smile she came to like about him and she merely shook her head.

Their friendship had somehow been stronger ever since Draco's departure, despite the fact that he confessed to her and she rejected him in return. Hermione knew he hadn't really moved on that much, seeing that there were times when he would suddenly be too affectionate (for her own liking, but she never said it aloud). But from what she had heard, he was currently dating a Muggle girl he had met in the same coffee house where they usually held their get-togethers.

The first time he discovered that Draco and Hermione were finally dating, a surprised look came up on his face before chuckling and shaking his head. _"About time," _he had said, although Hermione caught the brief flash of hurt in her eyes.

Despite the months that had passed, she still felt guilty over her rejection of Blaise's affections.

"Now, children," Narcissa said, calling for their attention whilst clapping her hands. "Please, do help me in the kitchen. Good lord, Hermione, I knew I shouldn't have given all of the house-elves their day-off yet! What with all these preparations for Draco's arrival."

Hermione sheepishly smiled while Blaise heartily laughed. "I'm sorry," she said. After weeks and weeks of coaxing the elder witch, Narcissa finally relented and listened to her to at least give each and everyone of her house-elves a salary of a galleon and give them a weekly day-off. When she hinted for them to all be freed, Narcissa downright refused, saying that living in a pampered life while being pampered by house-elves were hard for her to let go. Although, Hermione was not entirely pleased, she just allowed the Malfoy matriarch.

"Anyway," Narcissa said, beckoning them. "Let us go to the kitchens. My son will be arriving a few hours from now."

* * *

Everything was still the same the last time she ventured in this particular wing in the Malfoy Manor. Hermione absentmindedly brushed off some forming dust on top of an antique side table from the corner, eyes darting all over the West Wing.

"It had been a while," she murmured under her breath, resuming her walk.

They had finally finished preparing for Draco's arrival and currently Blaise brought Narcissa in her gardens to have some tea. _'Typical,' _she thought, quirking a small smile. They had invited her to come but she politely declined, telling them that she had to go somewhere in the Manor. They had let her go without any protests, a knowing look on their faces as Hermione walked inside the Manor towards the West Wing.

'_It's still bloody cold in here,' _she commented inside. Hermione had long shrugged off her Healer robes, leaving it in the foyer of the Manor. Now, she was merely wearing a simple white blouse and black skirt she deemed as professional-looking. Her high-heeled shoes were clicking loudly in the corridor but she did not seem to mind.

Hermione had finally arrived in the corridor where the imposing Malfoy ancestry portraits were displayed for the guests to see. And somehow, she was feeling some trepidation as she neared the second to the last portrait. She ignored the sneers and mockeries from the ancient Malfoys. Her eyes were merely trained determinedly in front, until she arrived in front of a particular portrait.

Like the others, it was moving. Hermione found herself staring back at the sneering face of the late Lucius Malfoy.

"Mudblood," he hissed, eyes dark with disgust and loathing. Hermione stood tall with pride, unwaveringly holding his gaze. "You made my only son and my wife a Muggle-lover, you filth."

The brunette hardened her stare. "And who's fault is that, Mister Malfoy?" she asked with confidence. "Maybe you should look back in your past life and see what a monster you have been to Draco and Narcissa."

Another insult escaped from the deceased man and she pointedly ignored it. Her gaze landed on the next portrait beside him and she found herself gently smiling.

Oh, how she missed him so. It had been eight months, _exactly_ eight months, since the last time she saw him and she missed him terribly. She knew she was being silly but there were nights when she would just cry in her pillow and sob for the night sky to hear that she, Hermione Jean Granger, one-third of the famous Golden Trio, valedictorian of her year, and youngest Healer of St. Mungo's, missed the prat.

_Her _prat.

Her hand unknowingly laid itself on his portrait-cheek and she merely rubbed it affectionately. His dimple, the one that started those strange somersaults in her heart and stomach, was looking as adorable as ever. Her hand drifted to his infamous 'Draco smile' and she just smiled back.

A famous adage stated that 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder' and Hermione became a firm believer of that saying. Because in a span of eight months, she was able to finally admit to herself that what she felt for him was not a mere fancy.

Oh no.

She loved him… _loves _him.

The hand on his portrait went back to her flipping heart and she blushed. _'I love him,' _she thought breathlessly in her mind.

They had been exchanging letters, of course. Mostly because it was demanded by the blond. Judging from his letters, he had terribly missed her, too. He never voiced it aloud, only telling her things that had happened to him for that day, added by some playful remarks to his girlfriend. But she knew.

He only told her once how he longed for her.

_I miss you, nuisance. _

It was a mere short note. No fancy words, no sappy things, no nothing. It was simple, straight to the point, but Merlin, it spoke volumes.

And that was also the day when Hermione realized that she did love him, despite his bastardly nature.

'_Oh, silly me,' _she thought, retrieving back her hand. "You've successfully distracted me once again, Draco Malfoy," she reprimanded his portrait, a small chuckle escaping from her lips. "I came here not for your portrait, you prat."

Still chuckling, she stepped away from his portrait and continued her journey.

* * *

It was still the same the last time she walked into this place. White lights. White walls. White floors. And white beds. It seemed like it wasn't inhibited at all by two of the most important persons in her life.

She strode slowly towards one of the beds, the one that was previously occupied by her mother, and she sat down.

Her parents were well and safe in their home somewhere at the heart of Muggle London and she was happy for that. Hermione, now wary of leaving her parents alone, had instilled safety wards just in case, Merlin forbid, they were once again placed in a very dangerous situation.

They had constant nightmares. She knew because every time she slept over in her childhood home, there were times when she would wake up at night because of the terrified screams from her parents. One thing she discovered was that even though they were never tortured physically by Voldemort and his minions, there were times that they would torture them mentally, feeding them nightmares mostly about her… _dead_. Their previous healer, Healer Warwick (and now a good friend of Hermione's), gave them a potion that would minimize their nightmares and so far, they were working magnificently on them.

A smile then appeared on her face, reminiscing the time when both Blaise and Draco went to her house for a visit. The expression on their faces was priceless, amazed by the amount of… _Muggle-ness _(according to Draco) of their house. There were weird contraptions that had somehow fascinated the two, although Draco tried his very hardest to look very nonchalant. His nonchalance completely broke as soon as Hermione introduced the television to both of them.

"_That's just… wicked," _he had said and Hermione forever imprinted the ridiculous, adorable look he had sported on that very day.

Mr. and Mrs. Granger had greeted the two with so much warmth it had almost surprised the two Slytherins. But soon, the two had warmed up to her parents. Mr. Granger even took a particular liking to the blond, which had put Hermione at ease. She was actually afraid that her parents would recognize them, especially Draco, from her letters and constant ranting about a specific blond classmate she had.

As soon as they apparated away (Draco gave her a brief goodbye kiss away from prying eyes), her parents rounded at her and started their inquisitions. Apparently, they did recognize Draco Malfoy but what had baffled them to see was that he was contradictory to the boy she once told them about.

And Hermione, with a mysterious smile on her face, merely told them that he was changed.

"_Oh, and we're currently dating, Mom, Dad." _

Yeah, well, she did not really say the exact words. She did remember a lot of stammering before she was finally able to tell them about her current relationship with Draco Malfoy. Her mother was ecstatic, of course. Her daughter always had a nonexistent love life and to finally find a man, a _stunning _one according to her mother, then she was happy for her. Her father, surprisingly, looked pleased with her choice of men, which had made her particularly happy that day.

"Oh, I knew you'd be here."

Hermione froze on the bed, the voice cutting her off from her musings.

"You're awfully predictable, nuisance. Do you know that?"

With large, doe-like eyes, she lifted her face and found herself staring straight into Draco Malfoy's mercurial eyes.

She blinked, thinking that she was merely imagining him due to her Draco-deprived mind, but after blinking exactly ten times, he was still standing there, with all of his blond hair, grey eyes, smirking face glory.

"H-hey," she managed to stutter out, cheeks suddenly blushing with embarrassment. She couldn't really be blamed. She hadn't seen him for eight months and to see him standing so aloof in front of her had made her heart hammer wildly inside her ribcage.

He arched a perfect eyebrow, looking at her in amusement. "Hey, yourself," he said. And then, his smirk changed into a smile that flaunted his dimple.

Warmth spread inside her heart as she grinned back. She was silent for a while, surveying him from head to toe. He was currently wearing corporate attire, which unsurprisingly, suited him magnificently. It was somehow weird for her to see him look so professional and all, especially since he was still nineteen. But he, being _the _Draco Malfoy, managed to pull it off.

"I had a meeting with Muggles before internationally portkeying back to England," he said, noticing her curious look.

"Muggles?" she gasped, astonished.

He rolled his eyes and slightly glared. "Apparently, dear ol' daddy had been working with Muggles for the benefit of the company," he explained. "Though, not directly meeting them, of course. What with all of their Muggle germs." He smirked upon hearing her chuckle. "So…" he continued, his smirk disappearing, "I had no choice but to meet them as a bunch, explaining how their previous boss had died and all."

She made a soft noise behind her throat, absentmindedly nodding her head. She continued her perusing with his current structure. Once her eyes strayed on his face, she frowned. Hermione beckoned him to approach her with her finger and he, amused, did as what he was told.

"Have you been sleeping, mister?" she scolded, crossing her arms. She pointedly stared at the teabags under his eyes. "And have you been eating? Merlin, Draco, you've lost weight, didn't you? Goodness, ferret, you should be taking care of your - ."

She was cut off from her sentence when he laughed, eyes staring down at her fondly. "Sweet Salazar, Hermione, I haven't seen you for _eight months_!" he proclaimed. "And now you're reprimanding me? Don't I deserve a proper welcoming?"

Hermione rolled her eyes but couldn't help the grin growing on her face. "Come here, you," she teasingly said. She grabbed his tie, mildly surprising him, before pulling him down and capturing his lips.

Draco chuckled against her lips before drawing her closer. He wound an arm around her waist and buried his hand in her tresses, angling his head to kiss her more deeply.

The brunette's hands instantly ran through his hair and he released a low growl at the back of his throat.

They kissed like they had never kissed before. Eight months of not being beside each other… eight months of deprivation from each other's presence were unleashed in that one passionate kiss and it had been quite a while before they pulled away from each other, gasping for the much-needed oxygen.

"Oh, good lord," Hermione said, gasping. Draco had chosen that time to kiss her neck and she released a soft moan of contentment. "That was a new record we broke, Malfoy!"

He chuckled against her neck before pulling away and looking at her straight into her brown orbs. Hermione grew flustered under his intense but she couldn't look away. "Holy hell, Granger," he murmured under his breath and did the unthinkable – he kissed her on her forehead. "I missed you so much."

She laughed and playfully punched his chest. "Are you turning into a sappy Prince Charming, Malfoy?" she asked. "Because truthfully, it doesn't befit you." Deep inside, she thought he was being damnably sweet.

Draco scowled, his cheeks coloring with embarrassment. "And here I was… telling the truth," he grumbled under his breath. "Women."

Hermione briefly kissed his mouth, making him smile once again, before holding his hand and led him out of the room.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Why, in your dining room, of course!" she stated matter-of-factly. "Narcissa, Blaise, and I had prepared something for you."

He dug his heels on the floor, halting Hermione. "Can't I spend more time alone with you?" he whined, tugging her right arm. "Nuisance, I've been deprived of you for months. Merlin, _months_!"

Hermione grinned upon hearing his playful term of endearment for her. She seriously missed being called 'nuisance'. "I'll have more time with you, don't worry," she said, patting his cheek fondly. "Senior Healer Watson gave me the week off."

His eyes visibly brightened.

"Yes, Lover Boy," she said, intertwining her fingers with his. "I'll spend my whole week with you. So stop whining and give poor Narcissa a favor and eat what she had prepared. She worked hard for it."

His eyebrows knitted together. "Where are the house-elves?" he asked. "Why didn't they _cook _the food?"

"Because they have their day-off," she said. His eyes widened. "Narcissa agreed to pay them and give them their weekly day-off, thanks to yours truly."

Draco laughed and ruffled her hair. "I should have known," he said.

She grinned up at him and she was again struck with the fact that she loved him. _'I love you,' _she whispered in her mind. She knew he did. He had told her countless times before, although in a joking manner (but then again, she knew he was being serious).

"Come on," she said, suddenly feeling flustered all over again. "They're waiting."

Once again, he had stopped her. "Let them wait for a while," he said, an impish grin growing on his face. "Granger, do you remember that specific broom closet somewhere near the dungeons?"

Her cheeks brightened into a lovely shade of red. "You know we weren't supposed to be there!" she exclaimed, glaring back at him. "It was an important event for you, you know, since you're introduced as the new Head of your family. Ooh, it was so embarrassing when we came back and Narcissa was so hysterical." Her cheeks brightened, reliving that particular day. "And besides, I was having fun!"

"And I wasn't," he retorted back, pulling her closer to himself. Thankfully, she did not budge. "Mother will understand, Hermione."

Her resolve was slowly crumbling down and they both knew it. "Later," she sternly said.

"What can I do to convince you?" he said huskily under his breath, his face drawing nearer. Hermione's eyes fluttered close, waiting for the soft pressure of his lips but it did not come.

When she cracked an eye open, Draco was back on his original place, softly chuckling under his breath. She had fully opened both of her eyes now and glared darkly at him. "Draco…" she growled. "BLIMEY!"

They were running now, their footsteps pounding loudly in the empty wing. They had passed the Malfoy ancestry portraits, who all hissed and insulted them once again, but Draco was unfazed and continued to drag her to that specific broom closet.

"For Merlin's sake!" she cried. "Good god, you hormonal boy!"

"Hey, I'm still nineteen," he exclaimed, yanking the broom closet door open and shoving her inside. He stumbled inside, which forced Hermione to press herself against the dingy wall. "Let them wait." He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, earning a gasp from the brunette. The blond then placed his mouth against her ear and was pleased when her breathing started to turn a little ragged. "And besides, I really want to kiss you right now."

He did not give her a chance to retort back for he then had captured her lips. He roughly pressed her against the wooden wall. Hermione's arms instantly latched themselves around his neck and allowed him to kiss her more deeply than before. If she thought the welcome kiss she had given him a while ago was passionate already, this one almost made her world upside down.

She had soon moved her lips away from his, taking in huge deep breaths to refill her oxygen-deprived lungs. Draco took this time to reacquaint his lips with her milky, smooth neck. He trailed kisses down until a few centimeters above her collarbone. The skin above her collarbone had always been a sensitive spot for the brunette, he long discovered, and it gave him thrills of pleasure when she released a soft purr inside the dark broom closet.

"I… love you," was her breathless declaration.

He froze.

Hermione felt him tense up against her neck and realized the weight of her confession. A soft gasp of mortification escaped from her lips, mentally berating herself. She had fantasized a few different, _romantic _ways of finally telling him that she loved him, too, just like how he loved her. But sneaking in a broom closet was not part of it.

Draco slowly pulled away from her, his intense, mercurial eyes connecting with her toffee-colored ones. The brunette could not decipher his expression in the closet because for one, it was darn dark inside it and two, she was trying not to meet his penetrating gaze.

His thumb and index finger trapped her chin and gently forced her to look back at him. Even in the dark room, she could make out the silhouette of his infamous 'Draco smile'.

"Finally."

* * *

Narcissa stared at her son and his girlfriend with tremendous astonishment.

"I-I'm sorry," Hermione said, face brightly flushed. She pointedly noticed that the blouse she was wearing was currently untucked, creases visible everywhere.

Draco, who was standing beside her, his hand clasping hers, had a triumphant smile on his face, looking as if he had won the Quidditch World Cup. He looked ridiculous, in Narcissa's opinion, especially because a cobweb was hanging innocently on his tousled hair.

"I-I… err… we…"

Blaise beside Narcissa chuckled under his breath, which prompted the Malfoy matriarch to smirk widely.

"Thank you for finally gracing us with your presence," Narcissa said. Hermione flushed redder while her son mirrored her smirk.

"Twenty points from Slytherin, _each_, for gallivanting around," the Italian piped in, a teasing smile on his face.

"Blaise!" Hermione gasped, shooting him daggers.

"Now, now, children," Narcissa thought. She briefly thought that they _were _acting like hormonal teenagers, especially Draco and Hermione. "Do settle down now and we'll start to eat our dinner."

The brunette quickly apologizes and led Draco towards the other side of Narcissa, the latter trying his very best not to burst out laughing.

Narcissa shook her head in disbelief, her smirk gradually turning into a smile. As the dinner commenced, she pointedly noticed that Draco did not let go of Hermione's hand at all. She watched at the corner of her eyes as Hermione inconspicuously removed the cobweb from her son's hair. Draco gave her a smile that flaunted his dimple and his girlfriend stuck out her tongue at him, her cheeks a lovely color of red.

The Malfoy matriarch's grin widened, hidden behind her table napkin. "My future daughter-in-law," she murmured under her breath.

She loved how it sounded.

* * *

_**REALLY FIN**_

* * *

**A/N: OH. MY. ROWLING. It's really, **_**really **_**the end. So yeah, I want to cry some tears of woe (and probably happiness, too) but I can't because my sister is just sitting right in front of me and I think I'm too tired to cry XD Gah, I'm actually posting this amidst a gigantic pile of schoolwork. Feel special, I order you :D**

**Anyway, so yeah, it's finished but I have this idea bugging me… what if I write scenes that I wanted to add in the story but did not have the courage to do so in fear of ruining the whole story? XD You know, like Hermione's meeting with Annie. Things like that. I have a few ideas on what to add already and they're not really connected with each other so it's okay with me. **

**SO, if you can, include in your reviews scenes you had wished to see in the story. Maybe, if I decided I'm not **_**that **_**busy anymore, I could start writing those scenes :D**

**Now, I thank EVERYBODY for taking the time to read the whole story. You have no idea how happy I am to see that the number of hits of my story is quite high. I specifically thank all those who tried to review EACH chapter of "Only a Pretense" and those who really took their time to give me inspiring and **_**wickedly long **_**reviews. I want to mention your names but you're quite a lot XD I have no time since I still have so much of work. I think you know yourselves since I've been answering all of your reviews in the past, anyway. **

**To **_**whenallelsefail (Arianne) **_**and **_**OnErrantry (Breanne)**_**, thank you for enduring my grammatical errors and doing your hardest to edit my work. I know you've somehow backed out in the middle but I understand. You're both giving me a favor of helping me with my story and adding a load to your already **_**piling **_**load of work. SO THANK YOU, MY AWESOME BETA-READERS. **

**I think, that's all. I swear to reply to ALL of the reviews you're going to give me for the epilogue. Again, don't forget to include in your reviews the scenes you wished you saw in my story, okay? I'll try my hardest to actually type them, compile them, and make a somehow "Deleted Scenes" or whatever of "Only a Pretense", okay?**

**This isn't the last time you'll be seeing me. I actually have a new story but I'm still on the seventh chapter out of forty. I'm not really sure if I'm still going to continue it since I haven't touched it for months. I've been re-reading the chapters to convince myself to write but school is a BIG hindrance. We'll just see the outcome in the future, eh? For now, I think I'll be on hiatus; probably post one-shots here and there if inspiration struck me. **

**So, again, goodbye dear readers of "Only a Pretense"!**

**With love,  
****WickedlyAwesomeMe**

**P.S. This is a random question but, did some of you get in in Pottermore? I'm INFURIATED that some of my friends were able get in already while I still haven't received my welcome mail. I'm fervently wishing I'll be getting it this week. And then, let's all be friends in Pottermore, okay? XD It would be totally cool if I interacted with you guys outside fan fiction. :D**


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